Me, Myself and I in 5 years
Continuing on my journey, part 2 of the ZigZag project presented the following prompt:
“It’s exactly five years from now. April 2026. Imagine what your life is like. Picture what you WANT it to look like. Describe it in full detail.”
The prompt is based on work done by Priya Parker and is part of the vision labs that she conducts. Another note about the prompt. Forget about money and just dream.
I started the timer and just wrote whatever came into my head. To be honest, though, I have thought about many of these topics a great deal, so the words kinda flowed. 😀
Before I knew it, the timer went off, and it was fingers off the keyboard. Of course, I could have kept going for at least another 30 minutes, but alas, gotta follow those rules. 🙃
Here is what I ended up with.
It’s April 2026. My family and I have moved to the coast. We live in a modest but comfortable home situated inside a golf estate with a beautiful view of the ocean. When you lay your head down at night, you can hear the waves crashing on the rocks and catch a whiff of the salty air.
We have a small manageable garden that we use primarily to grow the food we use in the meals we make. For example, earlier today, we picked some ingredients from the garden that we will use to make a delicious bulgur wheat salad.
Mechanical Ink has grown very well over the past 5 years. Two other business areas have also developed during this time. I have several online courses focusing mainly on new web developers. I also do a lot of writing for online publications and provide remote, online training for large companies who need to upskill their current developers on accessibility, design, web performance, best practices, and working in the open.
Ourbackyard has also taken off and is a business in its own right. Besides being a successful business venture, it also contributes to the success of other small businesses across the country, which fuels job creation, wealth creation and uplifts local communities.
Our kids are involved in all business areas but do focus on the consultancy side of Mechanical Ink. My wife is still involved in some of the marketing efforts around Mechanical Ink and Ourbackyard. However, these days, she spends most of her time on her own thriving business as a Multipotentialite in the creative field.
We are all able to manage our own time and therefore have the privilege of enjoying a true work-life balance.
Usually, I am not a “fan” of these kinds of dreamy thought experiments. I have to say, though, this one felt different. I really enjoyed it and will be using it as my north star.
It would be fascinating to read other people’s visions for their future. If you are so inclined, please share yours either as a comment or a link to your own post.
Stay safe, and be kind to each other ✌️
