Aspirations To Pursuits—Method

Starting to pursue something valuable in life or work takes three basic moves: tap into what moves your heart and mind the most, assess which aspirations are the most valuable and realistic, and commit and begin to pursue. You can go through these basic moves many times as your life and work take shape. There are many methods, and you need to adopt and use one, while remaining aware of its strengths and limitations.

I start people with a method drawn from Designing Your Life, developed by two Stanford professors for college and graduate students, and adaptable for people both younger and older. Their first book employs an engaging and useful method that I have adapted to coaching. The downside is that it can be overly complicated for some people, so I simplify it and help people choose what they need.

The method starts by identifying three possible pursuits: what you would pursue (or already pursue) now, what you would do if the first pursuit went away, and what you would pursue if money and reputation did not matter. Reflecting on these three pursuits keeps your mind and heart realistic, flexible, and open to large possibilities.

But you probably can’t pursue all three at once, so you commit to one pursuit, learn about it through conversations with people who have experience you need to hear, and learn about yourself by paying attention to what tasks and activities energize you. Over time, you build knowledge, skills, and relationships for that pursuit and, most importantly, decide if it’s a pursuit of real happiness for you.

If you decide it’s not, you still have those knowledge, skills, and relationships to pursue what moves your mind and heart the most.

The important thing is to aspire, commit, and pursue.