An order for life
In 2003, Swedish philosopher Nick Bostrom put forward the hypothesis that a sufficiently advanced civilization would be able to create simulations for scientific or entertainment purposes. If such simulations already exist, then there are surely more simulations than real realities, and we're more likely to be part of a simulation right now than not.
It's one of my favorite theories. Four years earlier, in 1999, “The Matrix” closed out the '90s with brilliant filmmaking, showing a similar idea of life in a simulated world.
Do a thought experiment and look at your life from above, from the player's point of view.
- How would you steer your Sim to reach the goals you've set?
- What would it be doing?
- What habits would it build?
- What action plan would you lay out for it?
Tell the simulation what you want from life by writing an order for life. You'll be surprised how many things you end up making happen.
It's a simple tool that helps you think about what you really want and what the person who has already achieved it is like. You write it as simple affirmative sentences, like:
- I'm happy with my life
- I do yoga every day
- I'm a ________ person
- I do ________ things
- I drive a ________ car
- I have a ________ partner
You can also split it into areas of life:
- Family
- Finances
- Health
- Love
- Work
- Hobbies
- Any other topic close to your heart
Think of it as a letter to yourself from the future, describing who you are.
Design your life
An even more interesting tool is a vision board. It can be newspaper clippings or pictures that represent your future life. The most important thing is not to change what you want every 5 minutes, and to give it time.
I like to call it Lifestyle Design. If you're already dreaming of a sports car, work out how much it'll cost to buy and then to keep, and what monthly income and investment portfolio would make you comfortable with that. What's the first step toward that goal? Start crunching the numbers and planning.
If you set your mind on specific goals, it'll start filtering reality for those goals. I like to think of it as the simulation bringing me what I really want.
DREAM BIG! Just don't forget to turn your dreams into goals and sprinkle them with a massive amount of work, effort and action.
Of course, like in any game, the simulation can work against you or put you to the test. It might check whether skimping on insurance was a good call, or test your loyalty in a relationship by sending easy, tempting offers your way.
It can also put you through the wringer, testing how much suffering you can take. After all, if you were the one creating your character, what experiences would you put it through to give it a really strong character? Exactly.