Planning a positive future
On the school run last week I was asked how I came up with the idea of retraining as a hypnotherapist. A couple of years ago when my youngest child started school I was facing a time of change and asking myself what I wanted to do now. It was a daunting time as I had been a stay at home mother for nearly seven years. I had changed career path before but it felt different being older. I visited the library and took out all the books I could find on career development, life planning and dealing with change.
An exercise for success
It was in one of these books that I came across an exercise that changed my thinking. It suggested I should write down anything I had an interest in, that I had enjoyed in the past, and that I would like to do, learn or achieve. This included everything from the small (those things already on my to do list - organising the family photos, decorating and booking the next holiday) to big life goals and wishes, aspects of work I’d enjoyed so much I’d do them for free, and importantly things I had forgotten about. This was not an exercise to do in one sitting but rather a long list I added to over several months. Nothing was too small or silly (I have always wanted William Morris wallpaper and would like to learn to use a sewing machine properly). My list covered the practical, the material and the emotional. I found I was writing down things that I enjoyed in the past such as a water colour class I attended with a friend in my 20's. And when I wrote this down I realised I wasn't in touch with this friend as much as I would like. We don't live near each other any more. So reconnecting with her went down on the list too.
The next step
The book went on to state that you could rewrite the list in terms of a timescale. This might include things you could do very soon, goals that will need more work, and possibilities or dreams. Hypnotherapy fell into my ‘possibilities‘ category. I remembered how it had worked for me when I was 19, how grateful I had always been to the hypnotherapist who helped me face my fears of leaving home, and how interested I had been in the whole process. The list provided me with the dream but there was more work to do. I started to research different courses to find the most widely accredited and suitable hypnotherapy school. I chose the Clifton Practice (CPHT) as it was an established and highly recommended training provider.
My list now
I have revisited my list in the writing of this blog and am pleased to say I have done several of the things on there. Others I look at and wonder why I wrote them down in the first place. Such a list is not static. We are always changing as people and so our dreams change too. But the concrete act of writing down such a list is very beneficial. It helps us connect with our real selves and gets us in touch with who we want to be. When I first drew up my list I hadn't realised I was working in a solution focused way (the discipline within hypnotherapy I would eventually train in) but that is exactly what I was doing. Instead of looking at what I was losing in my life and how it might be difficult to retrain or change track, I was getting in touch with my inner self.... in other words I was connecting with the real me that knows life holds opportunities at any stage. I was looking at where I wanted to be, where I could be rather than focusing on the problems that might hold me back. Sometimes that real self can be submerged in all the difficulties and mundanities of everyday life; the day to day chores, family responsibilities, and health or work problems. But inside, it is still there and looking for expression. Give yourself a chance to dream and you never know what might happen.