Exercise 9: Seeing Your Map

Called for Adventure: 12 Exercises to Discover and Live Your Life’s Calling

Exercise 9: Seeing Your Map

Called for Adventure: 12 Exercises to Discover and Live Your Life’s Calling

This is part of a 12-exercise journey to help you discover and live your life’s calling.
If you’re new here, start with Exercise 1: Committing to the Process to get oriented.

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We’re now deep in the Integration section of this journey. The first six exercises focused on your journal work — digging into your past and dreaming about your future. The last few have been about imagination, community, and preparation.

Today’s exercise continues directly from Exercise 6: Writing Your Vision Story.

Most of these exercises can stand alone or be done out of order, but this one can’t.
If you haven’t done Exercise 6 yet (or if you rushed it), go back and do it again.

Your stream-of-consciousness vision story did something you may not have realized in the moment: it showed you that your subconscious self already knows what you want.

I asked you to just write it and let it be.
Today, we pick it back up and turn it into what I believe is the single most useful tool for anyone serious about their life calling: a clear, concise vision statement.

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Your Work: Turning Your Vision Story Into a Map

Here’s a simple, step-by-step process to turn your raw words into a usable map for your next chapter.

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Step 1: Re-read Your Vision Story

If you wrote quickly, parts of it may be messy or hard to read — that’s fine.
Just read what you can. Then read it again.

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Step 2: Make a List of What Excites You

On a new page in your journal (or on your laptop if you prefer), make a list of the parts of your vision that feel exciting, energizing, or true to what you want.

If there are sections that don’t feel real or right, set them aside.
Sometimes your brain just dumps filler thoughts to clear space for the meaningful stuff.

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Step 3: Add What’s Missing

Think back over the days or weeks since you first wrote your vision.
Were there things you’ve thought of since then — things you wish you’d included?

Maybe you focused only on work, but you also have a vision for your family.
Or maybe you focused on relationships but left out creativity or health.

If so, add those now.
You can even redo the vision exercise, but this time start with a focused theme, like:

“It’s three years from today, and my family life has never been better…”
or
“It’s three years from today, and my work life has never been better…”

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Step 4: Refine Without Shrinking

Up to this point, you haven’t edited out anything exciting or bold.
Don’t start eliminating dreams just because they seem difficult.

But this is the stage where we can trim things that are truly outside your control.

Examples:

• “My kid is married with two children.” → You can’t control that.
  Try: “My family is growing, and I love the time we share.”

• “I win $500 million in Powerball.” → This is a little beyond a reachable financial goal, so let’s take it out.

• “I’m out of debt and taking my kids on a trip to Europe.” → Keep it! Hard ≠ impossible.

If it stretches you but is within the realm of possibility, it stays.
If it depends entirely on luck or someone else’s decisions, revise it or let it go.

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Step 5: Rewrite Your Vision Statement

Now, rewrite your vision from scratch — same method as before, but this time edit for clarity and inspiration.

Start with your date and opening line:

“It’s [future date], and my life has never been better…”

Then, using your list of wonderful future things, write 4–6 paragraphs describing what that day looks and feels like.
Be specific. Use your imagination. Make it inspiring to you, not to anyone else.

Here’s a sample structure from how my own vision map begins:

“It’s October 27, 2028, and my life has never been better.
I’m sitting in the Delta SkyClub in Barcelona with my wife after completing a series of workshops in Italy, France, and Spain. We’re headed to Cancun for a week to rest. I’m debt-free, my business is thriving, and we travel often. Our marriage has never been stronger.”

You get the idea.
Write to the best of your ability — with honesty, specificity, and heart.

And one more rule: don’t use AI for this.
It needs to be your language, your tone, your story.

When finished, edit it down to no more than one typed page (or the equivalent handwritten length).

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Step 6: Keep It Visible

You now have a complete, edited vision statement — a story of where your next chapter is headed.

You don’t have to share it with anyone, but you can if you want.
Many people print theirs and keep it nearby — on a desk, a mirror, or even as a phone wallpaper.

Re-read it often.

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Step 7: Let It Evolve

Your vision isn’t fixed. It’s alive.
It will shift as you grow, and that’s a good thing.

You can always start again when you have more information about what your future is looking like — just change the date and return to Exercise 6.

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Why It Matters

Once you have a vision, you start walking toward it.
You just do.

That’s the quiet power of clarity — it begins pulling you forward before you even notice.

In the final three exercises, we’ll explore how to walk it out:
taking first steps, learning to pivot, and living your adventure.

But you’ve already done the hardest part.
You know where you’re going.
And that’s where every great story begins.