Recently I learned about an insightful mind exercise that I would like to share with you. It can help you reflect on your life and give you a clearer view of it. It can help you to create your life’s vision in a few simple steps.
Imagine your life as a train. It consists of a locomotive and a few train compartments (as many as you want). Now, ask yourself the following questions:
Who is sitting on the train? Who is not on the train?
Think about which people you want to be part of your life ride. Who gives you value, who gives you joy, who lets you grow?
On the other hand, who do you not want to be part of your ride? Who has a negative effect on your life?
Also, think about if your passengers need a ticket or if every person can just get on the train. And who decides when someone has to get off the train?
Who is sitting where?
Now that you have selected who your passengers are, it’s time to decide where they sit. Who is sitting in the first compartment, who is sitting further in the back? Does every passenger have an assigned seat or can they decide freely where they want to sit and therefore how much attention they receive?
Where do you sit?
Do you sit in the front of the train or in the back? Are you surrounded by other passengers or do you have a private compartment? Maybe your place is in the locomotive?
Who is steering the train?
Are you the conductor and deciding where the train is going or somebody else? Are you sitting in the locomotive and actually steering or is someone else steering the train for you? How much right to say something do your passengers have? Do you ask them for advice or do you prefer making the decision alone?
How do your passengers feel?
Are they enjoying a comfortable ride? Does the train offer any services like catering? How much time are you spending looking after them? How much are you interacting with them, how much are they interacting with each other? Are you responding to their wishes?
Where is the train going to?
This one is linked to the fourth question. Does the train have a timetable? In which stations will the train stop? Is there a final destination? If yes, what happens after you have reached it?
Your Life’s Vision Train Excercise
To get the most out of this exercise, I recommend drawing the train. Give it your own design and draw the passengers. Also, take your time with answering the questions. The most important thing is that there is no right or wrong. It is a way to find out where you are now, what you might want to change and where you want to go.
So are you ready to create a vision for your life, pirate?
