From the Perspective of Nine

The middle of any transition is the most disorienting.

You signed up for the challenges, but maybe not to their intensity. You signed up for the changes, but maybe not to their number.

It helps to remember what you thought you might be doing with your life when you were nine years old. And it helps to project what you’ll be proud to say when you’re ninety.

Nine, and ninety, the bookends of your conscious life.

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At nine, if I were to tell you you’d be magically creating new things with artificial intelligence, you’d probably be wondering of all the things you tried, of all the creative things you’ve done.

What aspect of your life would your nine-year-old self be enthusiastic to look forward to? If only you could rearrange a few things from your current life, what would make your nine-year-old reel with excitement?

At ninety, if you imagine looking back at your life, and you imagine you’re celebrating. You’re celebrating, you’re relieved, you’re feeling proud, you’re feeling content.

What aspect of your life would your ninety-year-old self be celebrating having had, having been able to do, and having been able to avoid?

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It ends up that the years between nine and ninety, in that power of ten, you get to navigate all of your big uncertainties. But at both of those edges, both of your selves can inform you of the majority of your big certainties.

“For sure, this part of my life will always be interesting for me to do.”
“For sure, these parts of my life I’ll have always been careful to avoid.”

This exercise might limit your options for the transition you’re going through right now. But at least, to help find your real options, you’ve now got perspective.