How to Figure Out the Next Phase of Your Life

Give these 6 practical techniques a try.

Figuring out what comes next in your life can be difficult, especially now during a global pandemic.

Let’s face it- COVID has disrupted our world and our lives and many people are feeling lost and simply don't know what’s next.

On top of this, many people, including yourself, may have been trying to figure out what comes next long before COVID struck.

Perhaps you hit a fork in the road and simply didn't know which path to take and still don't know.

Please understand it's okay to not know what comes next in life. It's part of being human, so don't berate yourself or put yourself down for not knowing.

Be gentle with yourself and give yourself some self-compassion. Understand that it doesn't have to be complex either.

We make things far more complex than they need to be. For many people, figuring out the next phase of their life is like trying to solve a complex riddle or maths equation.

I think the reason for this is that life doesn't come with an instruction manual. Even if it did, you would still need to adapt it to your life and circumstances.

You wouldn't want a one size fits all instruction manual after all. So then, when it comes to figuring out the next phase of your life, how do you go about it?

Well, you can toss a coin, pick heads or tails, and make a decision based on that. Just kidding! This is a very unreliable strategy and wouldn't recommend it. Only at a party to amuse your guests, but not to plan your life.

Instead, I would highly recommend the following 6 techniques that are highly practical and highly actionable.

Give them a go. I think you’ll see some great results.

1. Develop Clarity

“Clarity is power’’ is an old saying and it couldn't be truer for what is being discussed here. Many times you can't figure out the next phase of your life because you’re not clear about ‘who you are’ and ‘who you want to become.’

These two are very important pieces in the jigsaw puzzle of life. Eliminate them from the puzzle and you are simply eliminating important parts of yourself.

The How for developing clarity

• Spend time in some self-reflection and solitude. Through being with yourself, you start to develop clarity.
• Don't allow other people to mold and tell you how to live your life. This severely interferes with your clarity but also hinders your progress in life.
• Take up journaling for self-development.
• Take up practices like meditation and mindfulness that quiet the mind.
• Spend time in nature. Even the local park can be good.
• Move your body. The movement has been scientifically proven to aid clarity.

2. Know your Purpose

This is essentially your WHY and your reason for existing. So it is important to know or at least have some sense of it.

It will help immensely in figuring out the next phase of your life.

Knowing your purpose doesn't have to be intimidating and scary either.

I think most people make it out to be more complex than it needs to be. Just bring it back to the basics and don't overcomplicate it.

The How for knowing your purpose

• Don't look for your purpose, like love, let it find you. This is what I believe anyway. Just requires a lot of patience on your behalf.
• Prepare for it though(lay the groundwork) by first getting clear on who you are and owning it. Then tune in to your already natural gifts (strengths)& use them to be of service somehow.
• Knowing who you are, owning it, and using your strengths to be of service is perhaps the secret sauce for knowing and living your purpose.
• Identify your top 5 values for your life and align these with your purpose.

3. Have a Vision for your Life

Tony Robbins taught me the importance of having a vision for your life.

He says we should all have a “daily vision for our life.” Something that excites us to get out of bed in the mornings. Can't thank him enough for this!

This is often closely tied to one’s purpose but it doesn't need to be. You can have a vision without a purpose.

A vision is something that daily excites you and so gets you inspired about your day. Makes Monday’s so much better!

It helps you get closer to closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

It doesn't have to be something big and grandiose either. It can be something small.

Whatever it is it adds an extra layer of meaning to your daily existence.

The How for having a vision

• Develop an empowering daily morning routine that sets you up for success. Remember “If you win the morning you win the day.”
• Get up at the same time every day and make your bed in the morning.
• Daily be a student. Read, listen or watch something that inspires you and teaches you how to live life well.
• Give yourself daily goals. I give myself 5 daily goals. They are part of my to-do list.
• Create a personal mission statement and hang up it somewhere where you see it daily.

4. Determine Your Ideal Life

This is all about getting intentional, turning off autopilot, and creating a life by design, not by default.

Have you ever stopped to reflect and even write down and define exactly what your ideal life would look like for you?

Most people don't. If you are one of the rare ones that have, I applaud you. This places you in the top 1–2% of the human population.

The majority of people go through life on auto-pilot never defining their ideal life. Even if they do, they don't see how it can happen so they just settle for less.

Ironically though most of these people plan and design their dream home, their vacations, fashion, cars, etc.

But without taking time to plan and design your life in all areas you reduce its functionality and your potential.

This impacts everything including your ability to figure out the next phase of your life.

The How for determining your ideal life

• Switch off autopilot & design your life using these 3 pillars.
• Set goals in the 7 major areas of life: health, vocation, money, relationships, personal development, time management & spirituality.
• Never give up on your ideal life. Stay away from naysayers that tell you it's just a fantasy, & not possible. Often they are just jealous and insecure.

5. Know Your Shoulds and Musts

Again I have Tony Robbins to thank for this concept which has helped me so much with figuring out the next phase of my life.

According to Robbins all of us have a list of shoulds and musts in life.

These could be ‘I should lose weight, ‘I should check my emails more’, ‘I should exercise, etc.

But often they are not done as you’re not too invested in them. But with musts you are. Once something is a must for you, you have to do it.

You find a way to make it happen says Robbins. You essentially burn the boats. This of course naturally helps with figuring out the next phase of life.

The How for knowing your shoulds and musts

• Get a piece of paper and divide it in half. On one half write down your shoulds and on the other half write down your musts.
• Pick just one of your musts and get to work on making it happen. It creates momentum & figuring out the next phase of your life becomes easier.
• Align your musts with your vision, purpose, and ideal life. You become unstoppable!

6. Don't Forget the Basics

When life is challenging it's easy to forget the basics — sleep, rest, nutrition, and exercise.

In fact, most people seem to neglect these when tough times befall them.

But these are your allies especially at low points in your life. They impact your thinking, your ability to make decisions, emotional states, and more.

So you simply cannot afford to ignore them!

They must be at the top of your mind consistently. You must be prioritizing them into your life.

If not it becomes impossible for any of these techniques discussed here to even work for you.

The How to not forget the basics

• Get the right amount of sleep. Doesn't need to be 8 hours. Rather it's what works for you. Experiment to find out.
• Have periods of rest throughout the day. Not enough to just have sleep. You must also have adequate periods of rest in your day.
• Eat well. Wholesome and nutritious foods that are fuel for your body.
• Hydrate yourself well with water and juices. Impacts brain functioning.
• Incorporate some type of exercise at least 3–4 times a week. Our bodies are designed for movement.

Final Thoughts

I really hope that these six techniques shared here help you in figuring out the next phase of your life.

These techniques in fact are highly versatile and can even be applied to other situations and circumstances of your life.

To recap here they are:

1. Develop Clarity
2. Know your Purpose
3. Have a vision for your Life
4. Determine your Ideal Life
5. Know your Musts and Shoulds
6. Don't forget the basics ( sleep, rest, eat well, and exercise)

Just give them a go!

You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

To Creating a Better You,

Sandra D