In the last 24 hours, dozens of people have asked me “What happened at The Bold Academy?!” and “What are the highlights?!” 

So much has happened in the last 30 days that I don’t yet know where to begin. The experience was so intense, so magical, and so unexpected that trying to put it into words has left me tounge-tied and in a perpetual state of writer’s block. Every time I sit at the computer to write about the experience, my fingers freeze. Alas, I’ve decided to let go. The words will come to me when they’re ready. 

A week ago I sat eagerly with our Bolders, mentors, and staff, ready to soak in a session with Miriam Zoll, a mentor who brought her 20 years of experience in communications, yoga, and public policy to lead a reflective process on writing the story of our future. 

“It’s 2017,” she said, “Where are you? What are you doing? Who are you with? How have you spent your last five years?”

I eagerly dove into my notebook, and jotted down the following:

It’s November 2017 and I’ve just turned 32. I’ve just completed five years of incredible eye-opening travel, creation, community-building, speaking, life building and loving. I feel grounded, calm, present, and deeply grateful. I’m sitting in a cozy room with the love of my life and the man whom I intend to spend the rest of my life with. I’ve just found out I’m pregnant and I’m ready to begin building a family. My home is in San Francisco, my Mom lives around the corner, and I travel often. I’ve helped hundreds of thousands of people claim the lives they’re meant to live through Bold, and now I’m writing my book.

This five-minute exercise left me feeling calm, optimistic, and inspired. It put my priorities into perspective.

Your turn: It’s 2017… Where are you? What are you doing? Who are you with? How have you spent your last five years?

Take out pen and paper, and begin writing your future. 

After completing this exercise, Miriam guided us to create a list of To-Do’s that will enable us to achieve our future life dream. 

My list went as follows:

• Launch two more Bold experiments — a 2-week program and a weekend concept — in Q1 2013 to gain more data points, make the experience more accessible, and continuing building toward the Bold vision
• Execute personal practices every day — fitness, self-love, writing, meditation, yoga, calling Momma, plant-based diet
• Get a speaking agent and amp up speaking page on Hey Amber Rae
• With intention, travel internationally to two places in 2012
• Continue writing twice-per-week for HAR and twice-per-month for Fast Company
• Listen to my intuition, make decisions from a place of love, and trust the process

Your turn. Based on your 5 year story, what are your to-do’s? And what’s one thing you can do today to get started?

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Thanks to Miriam for inspiring the post and Kyle and Liz for reading the draft.

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