Shape Your Goals Around Your Life Story for Meaningful Progress
Nobody likes the phrase “How do you see yourself in five years?” question, but we must all define some goal for our future. If you find it difficult to understand what it is, ask yourself what your story is about.
As the advice site Barking Up the Wrong Tree explains, we tend to have an intrinsic “narrative identity.” The story we tell ourselves about ourselves. We are the protagonists of the story we can write about the person with whom we spend the most time in our life. If you are having trouble figuring out where you should go in the future, start by looking at your past.
Peter Parker gains superpowers from the bite of a radioactive spider. But filled with arrogance, he refuses to help stop the culprit. Later, the perpetrator kills Peter’s beloved uncle Ben, the man who raised him. Overwhelmed by a sense of guilt and loss, he realizes that “great power brings great responsibility.” Peter decides to use his superpowers to fight crime and becomes Spider-Man.
This is a story of redemption. But people devoid of meaning in their lives usually tell very different stories: “stories of infection.” In these stories, tragedy fails to grow. There is no good from bad. It’s you?
If so, the good news is that you can change your inner history. You decide what scenes it contains and whether it ends with your uncle’s death or your decision to trap the villains with your web.
Many of us tell this story, whether we realize it or not. If you had a bad childhood, perhaps your goal is to give your kids the best. If you grew up in poverty, you may aspire to have a good career as an adult. Whatever your story, if you use it as a starting point for your future goals, the more likely you will feel satisfaction pursuing it.
Here’s How To Uncover The Meaning Of Life: 4 Proven Secrets | Bark on the wrong tree