Inner Mentor Visualisation

You’ll need some pen and paper for right after this exercise.

1. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Breathe deeply and focus on your breathing. Breathing in and out. Slowing down. Relax your body and bring your attention to the area around your eyes. Relax those muscles around your eyes. Release your jaw. Let your cheeks feel heavy. And just notice your breath as you inhale and exhale.
2. Imagine yourself leaving your body, floating above yourself, higher and higher so you can look down on your life and everything that’s in it right now. Remove yourself emotionally and just observe – your house, your work, your city, your friends…everything that makes up your life.
3. Now I want you to float forward in time. Let’s go forward 20 years. Imagine you have succeeded in everything that mattered to you. You have done everything you wanted to do. Let’s go visit the Future You. Where do they live? Go there and see it as you float down and look around. Observe what their house looks like, who is living there? How do you feel as you walk around the exterior?
4. Now meet the future you as they welcome you at the front door. What do they look like? How is their demeanour now that they have succeeded in everything you’ve dreamed of doing?
5. They offer you a drink and something to eat and lead you to their favourite part of the house for a chat.
6. What are they doing with their days? How do they feel when they wake up in the morning?
7. Ask them “What has mattered most to you over the past 20 years”  They may answer you in words or just with a feeling or facial expression. They may answer you through imagery. Listen to what they have to say. Go ahead and ask them now.
8. And now you might ask them: “What do I need to know to get from where I am to where you are? What do I need to know to get from where I am to where you are?” Listen to their answer.
9. Ask them: “What will help me fulfil my potential and use my skills and strengths to make a meaningful impact?” listen to their answers and let them surprise you.
10. Now go ahead and ask them any other question about anything you’d like to ask. What advice do they give you? What do they want you to do? To remember? To focus on? What is important to them? Go ahead and do that now.
11. When you have finished your conversation, thank them and head out of the house, knowing you can visit anytime and tap into this wisdom. Float up, up, up and look down on that life that they have. That’s your life if you want it. Then float back into the current time and your current life.
12. Bring your focus back to your breathing and when you are ready, pick up your notebook and pen and make notes about your conversation. What did they tell you? What did you observe about the house, about their life, about their demeanour? How did you feel when you met them? What are your priorities now?
13. Continue to make notes as they occur to you and keep them in mind as you go about your daily life and make decisions. If you’re feeling undecided about anything, chat to them about what choices they think you should make. Especially when you hear the voice of your inner critic, call on them, your inner mentor, to give advice, support and wisdom.