Coach Amina Z: In today’s very competitive world, we often struggle to strike a work-life balance. There is oftentimes a lot of pressure on us to be productive at work. The Interesting thing is – to be at the top of your game you need time and effort to recharge your body and mind and replenish your energy…..but it just never happens or at least happen as often as it should.
Coach Zaid: As business owners the pressure can be even greater and it is very easy to get burnt out. Coach Amina Z and I always strive to create that work-life balance and some of the ways we do that is making sure we work from home, travel together for business meetings as much as we can, consciously spend time with the children as often as we can. Don’t forget the whole essence is to be able to rejuvenate and bring out the best version of you to the table.
Coach Amina Z: I especially love to watch musical theatre production, for me, it is a great place to unwind and just relax. One of the main reasons why I love the theater is because everything happens on a stage right in front of you. I guess that is why on today’s podcast, “A VIP Invitation to Meet Your Future Self” we
would like to turn your attention to an imaginary stage lit up before you.
Jingle. This Episode was brought to you by Coach Amina Z TV.
Coach Amina Z: On this stage you see a digital clock and on it you see the date, ten years from now. You make out the silhouette of two figures on stage and as the spotlight creates a pool of light around them you recognize the first person is YOU – of course….you chuckle…that’s me…easily recognizable, your stature, your gait, those quirks and obvious mannerisms that make up you.
Coach Zaid: But you watch as the second spotlight also creates a pool of light around the second figure on stage. surprise! it is also you but a somehow different version of you. Two versions of you standing at opposite sides of the stage. Now this is getting interesting.
Coach Amina Z: Your eyes focus on the first and more familiar version of you. What you see makes you smile; your face looks like an airbrushed version of the one you see in the mirror every morning. You like the way you are standing, your wardrobe, even your intelligent smile – every aspect seems to glow with success, confidence, and hard-won authority.
The expressions you see on your face are easily recognizable as yours, but let’s say a more polished version without the small blemishes and feelings of inadequacy that seem to haunt every reflection you see of yourself. You are brighter and wiser than you are today; a version of yourself that you aspire to become within a decade. For a moment, you almost forget about the other version of you on stage; content to enjoy the you you keep seeing in your dreams. Your thoughts are jolted by a slight cough…and you glance in the direction of the other you.
Coach Zaid: What you see makes you pause. There is no mistake the face is yours, but you lack the inner glow and confidence that the other you seemed to give off so naturally. This version standing here for some strange reason reminds you – of you. Your shoulders slouch in an almost apologetic manner. You look a bit washed up and a breath away from explaining that you meant to accomplish more in the last decade, but never quite got around to it.
Coach Amina Z: Your eyes turn to the face and you easily notice it has a few more worry lines and your hair more gray strands than you recognize. You are tempted to look away in shame till your eyes meet and you notice your eyes still shine with unspoken ideas.
Coach Zaid: A clock chimes on stage and the lights seem to flicker for a split second. It’s decision time.you know it. Something deep within your gut tells you it’s time to make a choice.
Coach Amina Z: Your cross and uncross your legs. Your palms feel a little sweaty and a lump begins to form in your throat. With a twist of anxiety, you know that the embarrassed, worn person you see before you, is a version of yourself that you will become if you don’t make those changes you’ve been meaning to make or pursue those goals you’ve been putting off for years. You look again at the first version and in your mind’s eye, your ideal future self is as striking and inspiring as a movie star. How, you wonder, could you possibly climb from the depths of your insecurities to the heights of certain achievement? How will you avoid becoming your less-than-ideal version of you?
Coach Zaid: Well, we are here to let you know positive change is possible – that is if you are willing and able to put in the time and effort to transform yourself for the better. For the moment, though, I think we can skip forward and climb directly and join you on stage.
Coach Amina Z: Hope you don’t mind sharing your stage with us and a little bit of the spotlight?
Coach Zaid: Okay, we are all on stage. Wow, your stage is a lot larger than it looks from where we were sitting. Okay, join us on a journey into the realm of imagination. Let’s move away from here, from the eyes of everyone, away from the lights and cameras…and we are now behind the curtains.
Coach Amina Z: It is time for a VIP meet-and-greet with your ideal – and less-than-ideal – future selves. I can see you are already shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries. You may wish to spend time with the more successful and confident version of you. It is an opportunity you don’t want to miss to learn more about what you might become if you stop procrastinating. This assessment goes beyond sheer looks. Hmm…on second thoughts maybe you want to shed a few pounds and register at the gym. Perhaps you see the reason why appearances do matter and you make a commitment to updating your wardrobe – but those changes won’t be the most significant ones.
Coach Zaid: I guess some of the more pressing questions you may want to ask are: “What has your ideal future self accomplished during the years?” Does your future self seem healthier, or more comfortable being original?” “Is your future self experiencing a stress free life, you know… the kind that comes with doing what you love to do, rather than one you feel obligated to pursue?”
Coach Amina Z: On the flip side, what similarities or differences do you see in your less-than-ideal self? What flaws do you wish you had taken the time to correct? Are there hopes for yourself that you see unrealized in this less than ideal self? What separates the current version of you from the people you see onstage?
Coach Zaid: A very polite stage manager appears to let you know you would soon be going on stage. You nod in appreciation and relish the fact you have a few more moments to sit down and have a thorough heart-to-heart with both versions of you standing before you.
Delve into introspection.
Coach Amina Z: Sooo… you are probably thinking right now… “How can I arrive ten year from now having eliminated the possibility of meeting the less than ideal version of my desired future self?”
I want you to take a few moments and just think back to who you were ten years ago. Does who you are today align with who you hoped to become back then? What dreams did you pursue or leave unfinished? Which flaws did you fix or allow to stew? If you did change, did you do so with purpose, or merely allow yourself to develop without direction? Can you repeat or teach the process if you had to?
Coach Zaid: I think it would also be a great idea to consider the barriers keeping you from success in the present. Do you feel as though you have no time to pursue dreams beyond work? Are your relationships or health suffering because you haven’t allocated the time for proper care and maintenance? Can you see the impact of that inattention in your less-than-ideal self?
Coach Amina Z: If you are like me and you love to jot things down it would be very useful to list these questions down and attempt to answer them even if the answers are simple “yes” and “no”. Take all of this feedback into consideration. You now know what you want – or don’t want – to become, and understand where you’ve fallen short in the past. Armed with this knowledge, you can chart a clear path towards success.
Coach Zaid: Like it or not, you and your future selves are one and the same. Depending on the choices you make. You have the potential to evolve into the ideal version of yourself, but that transformation will take time and effort. Like any journey, the path towards achievement starts with having a plan. Without knowing where you want to go and what it will take to get there, how can you ever hope to arrive?
Coach Amina Z: Here’s what you need to do – Write down your goals, break them into personal and professional columns. Then, expand each of those goals into lists of measurable and achievable milestones. These will collectively provide you with a roadmap to future success and shape your development over the next decade. Remember, clarity of purpose is the key to achievement.
Restart Your Walk to the Stage
Coach Zaid: The stage manger is back and let’s you know your music will be your cue to go onstage. I wonder what that song would be? “Stand Up for the Champion”? I sincerely hope so. Your VIP meet-and-greet ends here; it’s time to say goodbye to both of your future selves and return to your day-to-day life.
Coach Amina Z: As you exit from back stage and head back to your seat you are left thinking back on your conversation with your future selves. The retrospection has afforded you the opportunity to consider both the qualities you want to develop as well as the flaws you would prefer to smooth over. What steps can you take to actively build your ideal attitude and hone your personal and professional confidence?
Coach Zaid: Once again document your thoughts.Make a note of the dreams you either left unfinished in the past or seek to achieve in the future. What can you do today, tomorrow, and over the next ten years to see them to fruition? Make a timeline and stick to it! Saying that you will embark on a dream journey “one day” is all well and good, but you may find yourself on the wrong side of the stage if you keep putting the task off!
Coach Amina Z: Once you have been able to identify your milestones, focus on achieving the milestones you listed earlier. From a decade away, a dream might seem impossible – but if you break that dream into actionable steps and goals, you will find yourself on a brisk path towards achievement in no time!
Appreciate change when it occurs! Ok? Years down the road, you might look in the mirror and find that you’re just as successful and confident as you always hoped you would be.
Coach Zaid: Remember, remember, remember, we are defined by our choices and the lessons we learn from their consequences.
Coach Amina Z: Looking back on your past and considering your hopes for the future will help you grow into a better and more successful version of yourself. With that in mind, I’ll ask you to think over your goals and plans for the next chapter in your life.
Coach Zaid: How will the decisions you plan to make over the next ten years — and the ones you’ve already made — shape who you become?
Coach Amina Z: Make sure to do the exercise we encouraged you to do. Hope you enjoyed this week’s episode, if you did please leave us a review
Coach Zaid: and don’t forget to subscribe.
Coach Amina Z: we will most definitely like to hear from you.
BOTH: Bye for now.
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