What will you do next? (part 1)

As a veteran coach, counselor and consultant I hear people ask themselves that question a lot. Maybe not out loud, but a lot. And when we do (I include myself here), it’s usually related to how life could be even more satisfying than it is.

Even if you’re great at living each moment with gratitude and in line with your values, there are questions that live in your soul, inviting your attention and focus—especially after a couple of decades of living as a grown-up.

I’ve noticed five big ones. Here’s the first—I’ll write about the next four in the weeks to come.

1. “Is my life a success?”

What happens when you ask yourself that question? Does someone’s face come to mind? Or your investments? Or a diploma? Or a professional success? Or a big achievement from a few years ago? Or the way you regularly use your gifts and abilities, or . . .

If your life is a success, it’s never accidental. And if it continues to be a success, the most important thing is what you do next.

A professor called me last week after listening to a college recruiter interview his son. “What are you good at?” The recruiter had asked. “What do you enjoy? What do you long to do more of?”

I could hear this man smiling through the phone, “Listening to those questions,” he said, “I realized that my son had clearer answers to those questions than I do.”

Think about these two questions:

1. what happens—in your heart, mind, gut--when you wonder about the success of your life? and
2. what will you do next?