In the past, I’ve talked about how having a great imagination can change your life. Today, I wanted to explain what I mean by that.

It starts with defining your Ideal Future State, or IFS.

What exactly is an IFS? It’s a memorable and inspirational vision you have for your life. It’s the epitome of how you imagine yourself being, living and feeling in the future.

Defining your IFS can help you envision what’s possible for you if there were no limits whatsoever on what you could do or accomplish.

There are many benefits to defining your IFS:

Clarity

Direction

Motivation

Specificity

Confidence

And so much more

I find it helps to think of your ideal future state in the form of an affirmation.

Creating one makes the woman you want to become feel more tangible. If you can visualize her, it will help you bring your IFS to life. If you can see her, you can be her.

I want you to have an example to follow when you’re creating your own IFS. So let’s create yours now.

Identify your biggest pain point

First, you need to know the main purpose of your IFS is to help you create a roadmap for your future.

Start by asking yourself: Where am I right now?

The key to answering this question is to determine the greatest challenge you face presently. If you’re like most women in midlife, odds are you have a number of areas in your life you want to change.

Could be your finances, relationships, career and the list goes on.

I’ve found there are nine topics that women over 40 care about most.

Love

Health + Wellness

Work + Career

Financial Stability

Purpose

Passion

Relationships

Personal Style

Leaving a Legacy

But, when it comes to crafting your IFS, I’d recommend getting laser focused on the one that either gives you the most angst or exhilaration.

Determine your greatest aspiration

With your newfound awareness of which obstacle or opportunity may be standing between you and your best life, now you can create a plan to either overcome or capitalize on it.

You could start by creating a list of your talents, hobbies, interests, natural abilities and gifts.

Here are some examples:

• If you have experience in a particular industry, consider starting a consulting business to help others in that field. You can offer your expertise to small businesses, startups, or even larger corporations.
• If you’re a talented writer or editor, you can start a content creation business, helping others with copywriting, blog posts, and social media content. You can work with clients across a variety of industries and niches.
• If you have a passion for cooking or baking, consider starting a catering or meal prep business. You can provide healthy, delicious meals to individuals, families, or even businesses.
• If you have a background in education or training, start a coaching or mentoring business. You can help individuals or groups with personal or professional development, career coaching, or even executive coaching.
• If you have a talent for crafting or DIY projects, consider starting an Etsy shop or selling your creations at local markets and events. You can also offer your skills for custom orders and special projects.

If your biggest obstacle is getting a jumpstart on a new career or business, these are a few helpful ideas to get you started.

But, you can take an even deeper dive into other topics and brainstorm additional ideas to leverage what you know.

I recommend creating a list of at least 100 ways you can create a more ideal future for yourself.

Prioritize your list by:

• Things you can do immediately
• What you need to make time to do
• Things you need skills to accomplish

Hone in on outcomes

With such a robust list of ideas, it will be next to impossible not to open up brand new avenues of opportunity for yourself.

And, once you’ve got your list prioritized, live with it for a few days. As you consider the possibilities, you may want to add to it, delete things, or simply adjust.

Ask a trusted mentor, family member or friend to review it. When you’re satisfied with your list, finalize it…at least for now.

Your goal is to come away with a document that will put you on a path to creating the life you desire. It should be aspirational enough to scare you a little, and attainable enough to keep you motivated and moving forward.

Whenever you’re ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:

If you’re looking for options about how you can use the skills you already have to do something new, I’d recommend you start with:

1) Find Your T.H.I.N.G.: Uncover what you’re truly meant to do through this foundational course that helps you get unstuck by teaching you how to identify your core Talents, Hobbies, Interests, Natural abilities and Gifts to overcome fear-based thinking and create a customized plan for your future and what you want to do. Enroll now:

https://theencoreacademy.teachable.com/p/find-your-thing

2) Join the upcoming cohort of Metamorphosis (begins July 5th): Get proven strategies for how to build the side business, project or venture of your dreams in just six weeks without having to leave your 9-to-5 behind. Transform the way you think about work and create your own system for earning the most amount of money you can on the side. Schedule your introduction to Metamorphosis now: https://calendly.com/sisterladygirl/metamorphosis-intro