Have you been feeling disconnected from your vision for the future – or what you really desire?
Maybe you’ve done all of the dreaming exercises and written out your goals and intentions, but somehow you still lack clarity about a future that really lights you up and excites you.
We find that often when people are struggling to get clarity or can’t connect to their bigger vision, the problem isn’t that they don’t have the answers (deep down, we all know what we really want!) – it’s that they’re asking the wrong questions.
Let me illustrate with a story…
Many years ago, I was fresh out of college with $60,000 in student debt, and living with my boyfriend at the time. I was truly just starting out (I didn’t even have my own car!), and I was looking for direction and what was next on my path.
With not much more than a wing and prayer, I decided to start an online marketing business.
I didn’t have much experience or confidence in myself. But I took the leap, and hoped it would all work out.
Early on in that business, I decided to invest in something that was a huge stretch for me at the time – a photoshoot with an amazing photographer I had found online. I figured I needed some headshots and professional photos to make my brand legit. So I drove from San Diego to Northern California for the shoot.
When I was packing, I placed all of my business suits and dresses into my suitcase, and at the last minute, I decided to grab a few of my more fun, flowy, feminine pieces. (I thought maybe we would have time for a few creative pictures at the end of the shoot.)
On the day of the photoshoot, we finished the headshots and had some time left over for some creative ones. I changed into a flowy dress and immediately, something shifted. It was like magic ensued.
Suddenly, I went into flow. I felt beautiful, powerful, and relaxed.
I left the shoot and the next day, the photographers sent me a preview photo – a picture of me standing in a field throwing my skirt in the air. (See photo below.)
Photo Credit: In Her Image Photography
When I saw the picture, I was shocked. The woman looking back at me was fierce, bold, + powerful and yet, beautifully feminine.
“Who is that woman?!”, I thought.
I truly didn’t know she existed inside of me.
Seeing that image changed me forever. I thought that if I could look that way in a photo, that version of me must be somewhere deep inside.
I knew this was the woman I wanted to become.
For the first time, I was able to see myself that way. As a result, I naturally began to embody more of those qualities in my life.
When I got the rest of the photos back from the shoot, I didn’t love any of the professional shots. But the creative photos we took that day, I’ve used more than any other photos I’ve ever taken, because they captured the woman I really wanted to be.
After that shoot, I started reflecting more and more on this question: Who is the woman I want to become?
Not WHAT did I want to accomplish.
Not HOW was I going to get there.
Often when it comes to visioning and figuring out what we want in our next chapter, there’s a tendency to focus on the external – the things we want to do, or the steps between where we are and where we want to go.
The missing question we often forget to ask is, “Who do I want to become?”
Here’s why this is so powerful: When you shift your focus to who you want to be and start to embody the qualities of that person, your external reality shifts as a result.
This isn’t about ‘fixing’ or changing yourself. It’s a discovery of who you were always meant to be. It’s allowing the woman that is already within you – who hasn’t been actualized yet – to emerge.
When you get clear on the person you want to become, you can let go of changing yourself and your life and instead, focus on stepping into that version of yourself. When you allow this version of you to emerge, the other pieces will start to automatically fall into place.
If you’re ready to discover the vision for who you want to become, here are a few steps to help you get clarity:
1. Take a look at the people you admire and what you admire about them
When you look up to or admire someone, it’s because the potential for those qualities already exists within you – they just might not be actualized yet! Try making a list of five people you admire (bloggers, celebrities, friends, or public figures) and what you love about them. Chances are, these are some of the qualities you wish to embody yourself!
2. Create a Pinterest board of the woman you want to become
How much time do you spend mindlessly scrolling social media? What if instead, you spend that time consciously curating an image for the person you’re stepping into? Images are incredibly powerful and they work with our subconscious mind to help create our reality. Spend 5 minutes a day on your Pinterest board, and you’ll be amazed at the shifts you experience in yourself and your life!
3. Get support in stepping into YOU 2.0
Sometimes, it can be tough to get clear on our vision and what we want on our own. We need a sounding board or a spark of external inspiration to help us bring a new vision to life. That’s why we created our 2-day, virtual event called, The Woman You’re Stepping Into – to help you get clarity about what is next for you! This event is just $39 for the whole weekend and it’s going to be an incredible experience to help you discover and unleash the YOU you were always meant to be. Learn more and grab your ticket here.
Once you’ve gotten clarity about the person you are stepping into, act accordingly!
Each day, think about how you can embody more and more of this version of yourself – from what you wear and how you talk to yourself, to how you spend your time – and watch your reality begin to shift around you.
