Figuring out what you

Here's a great imagination exercise you can try. It only takes about 20 minutes to try and it will help you to figure out what your interests are and what kind of job you can imagine yourself doing in the future. It works well if you have someone read the questions to you while you close your eyes and imagine the answers.

It worked for me, I hope it helps you!

Begin by finding a comfortable and safe place to sit. If you would like, play some relaxing music. Read each question one at a time, close your eyes and think about your answer. Remember that this is your fantasy, you are supposed to imagine what you want - there are no restrictions, nothing you cannot do or be.

Here we go.

Clear your mind or everything. Think of absolutely nothing for a moment. No worries, no stress, nothing.

Now, imagine you woke up this morning and you were middle-aged - somewhere between 30 and 40 years old. You get out of bed, go into the bathroom and look in the mirror. What do you look like? Take a good look at the face and the body. That is you 20 years from now.

It's time to get ready for work. Go to the closet and get your clothes. What are you going to wear to work today? Do you choose the business suit or jeans with a T-shirt or something in the middle? Get dressed and ready and head out the door. What time is it?

How are you going to get to work? Do you take the bus? Drive a car? What kind of Car? Or do you leave home at all?

Now you get to the work site. What does it look like? Do you work in a big office? Outside? Is it cold or dusty? Are there many people around or are you alone? What does the furniture look like? Where are you located? Are you in a big city centre or out in the country? Take a few moments to imagine where you work. Take a good look around.

Now you are ready to start work. What are you doing? Do you talk on the phone? Are you working with your hands? Do you have a computer? Do you work by yourself? Do other people report to you? Now take a few moments and try to picture your work. At some point during your working hours, youstop to make a phone call to someone who is very important to you. Who do you call?

Well, you've done your work for the day and it's time to go home. What time is it anyway? How long did you work? You stop to buy yourself something on the way home. It's something you've wanted for a very long time. What is it?

You finally get home. What does your home look like? Is it an apartment or a house? Big or small? Take a good look at the outside. Now go in the door and walk inside. Move through all of the rooms - the living room, the kitchen, the bedrooms, the bathrooms. Notice the decor and the colors. Take a look at the furniture. Imagine what you home looks like.

Who, if anybody, lives in this home with you? Picture them in your mind. What do they look like? How important are they to you? What, if anything, do you do with them when you get home?

After you've had a meal, it's time to go out for some fun. Where do you go? What do you do when you get there? Who is with you? Picture yourself having a great time.

Now it's time to go home and get some sleep. You crawl into bed. What time is it? You lay in bed and think about everything you accomplished that day and with a smile you fall asleep.

Now, write your answers down on a sheet of paper. Include as much detail as you can. Draw pictures if you want to.

Here are some questions to consider:

1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror, what did you see? How did you feel about what you saw? Was there anything specific that surprised you?

2. What did you choose to wear to work?

3. What time did you go to work?

4. How did you get to work?

5. What did your place of work look like?

6. What did you do at work?

7. Who was the important person you called from work?

8. What time did you leave work? How long did you work?

9. What did you buy on the way home?

10. What did your home look like?

11. Who, if anybody, lives with you?

12. Where did you go for fun? What did you do there? Who went with you?

These answers can help you decide what kind of job you want, what hours you would be comfortable working, what you want to be, look like and own, plus what is important to you. Look at each one of your answers and see if they feel true to you.