Most of us spend more time planning a vacation than planning the next chapter of our careers. We know where we want to go and things we want to explore. But we’re often less clear on how to do this with in life and with our careers. If only we had a signpost to show us the way.
This challenge is not on you. We don’t have the best tools for thinking about our future selves. We need time and space to think about what we want, and a way to process and share our ideas. Working with a coach can help unlock your potential and kickstart planning for your personal and professional journey.
Next week is International Coaching Week (May 11–17), an annual moment when coaches around the world open their doors to people who’ve never experienced coaching before. I’m participating by offering a limited number of free 30-minute sessions in May. There’s no pitch, no obligation, just a real coaching conversation. I want you to get unstuck in your thinking and experience how coaches work as a guide on the side to help you move forward.
More on the free coaching at the end. First, I want you to try this. This exercise is one I use with my career coaching clients.
Future Self Visualization
Find a quiet spot. Have something to write with nearby. You’ll listen OR read first, then write.
This is daydreaming with intention. There are no right answers.
Close your eyes.
It’s 5 years from now. Picture the life you want, not the one you think is realistic. The one you actually want.
Start your morning. What does the room feel like? What’s the first thing you reach for? How does your body feel? How do you start your day before work begins?
Getting ready. What are you wearing today? Where are you headed?
Arriving. You’re going somewhere to work with people you care about. How do you get there? What do you notice when you walk in?
Your space. You settle in somewhere. What does it look like. Is it an office, a table, a corner? Look around. What do you see? What does it say about the work you do?
Your work. Think about what you’re actually doing today. Not your title — the work. What problems are you solving? What are the verbs that describe your day? What’s something about this work that would surprise your past self?
Your people. You’re working with others. How do they relate to you? What do you contribute to the room? How do people describe you?
End of day. What did you build, solve, or move forward? What are you proud of? Before you head home, you do something you love — what is it?
Pause. Notice how this version of you feels. What is showing up in your body (not just your head)?
Now open your eyes.
Write It Down
Take 5–10 minutes. Don’t edit yourself.
- The work: What verbs kept showing up? What problems were you solving? What felt energizing? What was just fine?
- The identity: Who were you being, not just doing? What words described you? How do others see you? What did future-you know? What did future-you believe? What do you fully own?
- The life: What surprised you about what you pictured? What was missing? (Sometimes what we leave out matters as much as what we include.)
- The gap: What’s one thing that’s already true about this future self? What’s the biggest distance between where you are now and what you pictured?
Want to Talk Through What You Found?
This is where it gets interesting. The visualization surfaces things, but the real insights tend to come in conversation, when someone’s asking the right questions and holding up a mirror.
In the spirit of International Coaching Week, I’m offering a limited number of free 30-minute coaching sessions during the month of May. These are real coaching conversations, not a sales call dressed up as coaching. If you’ve been curious about working with a coach, or if something in this exercise lit up a question you want to explore, this is a low-stakes way to find out what coaching actually feels like.
Book your free session here → https://calendly.com/laurapasquini/30min-coaching
I’m Laura Pasquini, an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with 850+ hours working with mid-career professionals and leaders navigating transitions, especially when the path forward isn’t clear yet. If you’re stuck between options, questioning your direction, or trying to make an important decision, that’s exactly the kind of conversation I’m built for. My approach balances structured thinking with space to explore we clarify what matters, cut through the noise, and build a direction that feels both aligned and practical.
techKNOWtools 
You must be logged in to post a comment.