In a session this week, a client introduced me to something called "5 lives". In this exercise you get to choose and design 5 alternative lives to the one you have right now.
This really piqued my interest, so I immediately wrote a note for myself to try this later. Not only did it sound really interesting (and fun), I could see it may be a way to reveal what might be missing, or what I might be craving in my life right now.
So I had a go. I asked myself: "If you had 5 more lives, each in a parallel universe, how would you live them?"and after I had answered this question, for each life I asked "Why?"
My 5 Lives
Life 1: Travelling the world, unattached, as a digital nomad, experiencing everything.
Why? Freedom to do what I want, when I want to. Making new friends and learning new things every day.
Life 2: A childless CEO of a global company.
Why? Power, control and pushing myself to the edges of my capability. Having a team of helpers around me to make it happen. Financial power & choices.
Life 3: Home-schooling travelling family, living in an RV.
Why? Deep family connections between us all. A team. Living life outdoors. Adventuring as a family.
Life 4: Living back in my home town with my kids and husband.
Why? Greater connections with family and long term friends. Living closer to beaches.
Life 5: Living in Ibiza running a wellness business with my family and a few friends.
Why? Doing work I love, in a place I love, with the people I love and immersing myself in a new culture.
Having completed the exercise, it highlighted some of my wants and maybe even needs that I haven't even considered for a while, making me think about ways I could meet some of them without blowing my current life up or starting my life again completely from scratch. And the message that "it's never too late" kept coming through loud and clear.
Do it yourself
What would your 5 lives look like? Why? And what are these lives telling you about your needs right now?