Unlock Your Next Chapter, Pt. II - Your Origin Story
As I mentioned in the last article, the biggest lesson I’ve learned since leaving corporate life behind is this: The skills that make you successful in one chapter of your life are rarely the ones you rely on as you create the next one.
In the previous post, we looked at using discontent as a springboard to move forward. Today, we’ll explore elements of your origin story and how it’s led you to where you are today.
What is an origin story? Simply put, it’s your backstory. In particular, it’s the events that created your identity and your motivation for the choices you make and the life you live.
Here’s an easy example. The backstory of most superheroes starts with a childhood incident that left them feeling powerless in some way. If we look at more relatable business examples, it was an early success of some sort. Warren Buffett bought his first stock at age 11 and became fascinated by the markets. Elon Musk built and sold his own video game as a teen.
Over time, the desires to transform become bigger. John Mackey was working at a natural foods store when he founded Whole Foods Market to create a more conscious and sustainable business model. Jeff Bezos saw the potential of online commerce in the early days of the internet and it was this drive that led him to start Amazon.
I’m not suggesting that you need to have a vision to transform the world like those in the examples I provided. But if you look at the commonalities in their stories, you’ll see a combination of factors that you’ll find in your own story. Things like:
Drive: Things you’re excited to learn about and pursue;
Opportunity: Times when you recognized a new possibility;
Risk-taking: How you pursued new opportunities;
Skillset: How you assembled a unique mix of talent and experiences;
Development: Where you invested in keeping your skillset current;
Growth: Lessons learned along the way;
Collaboration: Those unique times when people and projects combined for success;
Leadership: Your ability to inspire others;
Resilience: How you learned from mistakes and persisted; and
Impact: Your lasting legacy in making a difference.
Along with origin story, another term you may find helpful is the hero’s journey, which is a familiar template for telling stories. Any story you’ve heard that’s memorable follows this format where the main character undergoes some sort of transformation.
And isn’t that what we’re working with here? You were one person (your origin story) but you’re inviting an adventure in the form of a new life chapter that will be different from life as you know it today.
That’s why this is such an impactful exercise. You’re uncovering and remembering your inner story so you can use that as fuel to craft your new experience.
How do you actually do this? It’s quite simple, and no, you don’t need to write your life story. Just get out a piece of paper and jot down some phrases and memories as you reflect on these three questions:
Where are you from? Focus less on physical location (unless it’s a motivating factor) and more as generational and socio/economic background. Think of it as a few bullet points describing your backdrop for growing up.
What ability or power did you have or dream of having? Perhaps you had a particular talent or would daydream about a power you wished you had at your disposal.
What childhood experience set you on your path? It can be a positive experience, such as an impactful teacher or coach or a struggle you had to overcome.
Once you have a page or so of notes, answer the same questions as you reflect on your early adult life. You can change the questions slightly so they read like this:
Where did you start? Think of a few bullet points describing the period of your life when you began new relationships and entered the early stages of your career. How did your 20s feel?
What type of personal or professional life did you dream of having? Who did you look up to in those days? Did you have a mentor? Did you want the life of those you worked for?
What growth catalysts challenged you to grow on your path? It can be a positive experience, such as getting promoted, or a struggle you had to overcome, such as working for someone you didn’t respect.
Over the next week, I invite you to reflect on these questions and continue taking notes. In particular, look for themes. I’ll give you some examples:
Where have you grown by getting a deeper understanding of yourself, increasing your emotional intelligence, and felt genuine connection with yourself and others?
When have you felt like you were on your path, engaged and fulfilled by your activities and connected to those you were with?
What were you doing when you felt you were making an impact, perhaps when you created a new solution or lead a team through a successful project?
One more point of reflection. At this time in your life – who inspires you and why? This list can include those who are living or have passed. They can be someone you know or someone you may never meet. They can be from the business world or, and I highly recommend this, include anyone whose life story or accomplishments resonate with you. Include artists, athletes, activists, creatives, and the everyday heroes that we meet each day.
Once you have that list, begin to note what you find inspiring about them and why it’s resonating for you. For example, a prominent athlete might make it onto your list but it could be because they overcame obstacles early in life, or the way they care for their bodies, or the fact that they took a break when the toll of their stardom became too much.
Another example might be a musician you love and they made it onto your list because they found a way to express themselves in a deeply personal yet universal way, or their music helps you process your own emotions or you love that they’re self-taught and took their own path to success.
Keep adding to these lists over the next two weeks. You’ll be using this information to craft the next section of your story, as you continue to unlock the next chapter of your life, on the hero’s journey of your choice.
Journal Reflections: As you think about your origin story, what has surprised you? Has your perspective shifted with time? What themes and questions resonate most and why?
Note: If you prefer, you can listen to this article here: Episode 242
If you have any questions or comments about this series, please do reach out by email at hello@athenawellness.com. I’ll be sure to receive it.