5 Tips to Creating Your “Look Back Story”
“You only live once but if you do it right, once is enough.”
-Mae West, actress, playwright, screenwriter
Imagine that your time has come – the last hour of your last day. You look back on your life with a heart full of love, joy, and the proud feeling of a life well lived.
Imagine you did all the things you wanted to do, accomplished all the things you wanted to accomplish, and made the best use of the time you had on Earth.
What would your story say?
This is an exercise I lead my clients through. It’s called your “Look Back Story” and it has been so influential for them that I wanted to share it with you too.
“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.”
-George Harrison’s song “Any Road”
Your “Look Back Story” helps you start with the end in mind and then work backwards to bring your story to life.
Here are 5 tips to help you create your own “Look Back Story”:
- Write in the past tense
- Write your “Look Back Story” as if it has already happened. Start sentences with words such as: “I did…”, “I was…”, etc.
- Write in as much detail as possible
- You really want to “paint the picture” of how you looked and felt. Can you see it? If not, it’s time to write in more detail. You must be able to see yourself getting to where you want to be.
- The 50/50 Rule
- You want your “Look Back Story” to scare you a little and excite you a lot. If it excites you, it will motivate you to take action. If it’s also a little scary, it will make you “grow into” it. You want both of those things happening at the same time. It’s the key to accomplishing your goals!
- Take your time… but finish it!
- You can complete your story in one sitting or over a period of time. I give my clients at least one week to formulate their story. You don’t want to feel rushed, but you also want to have an end date!
- Share it with someone
- When your story is complete (for now) you’ll want to read it out loud. I can’t tell you how powerful it is to read your “Look Back Story” out loud to someone who cares about you, so I encourage you to do this exercise with a friend (for accountability) and then meet for coffee or make a phone date to read your “story” to each other.
I hope you’re inspired to write your own “Look Back Story”. If you complete your story and you would like to share it with me, email me yours here: kim@transformationwellnessforwomen.com
I can’t wait to read it!
