Write Your Own Obituary

And bring yourAnd bring your values to life...

By Rob Archer – Director, Bloom Psychology Ltd

Exercise: Write Your Own EpitaphValues are what you want your life to stand for Funnily enough we find that thinking about your death is a good way

How to do it

Values are what you want your life to stand for. Funnily enough, we find that thinking about your death is a good way of bringing your life into perspective. This exercise will help you think about this.

1. Start off with your name and a manner of death you’d be happy with (if you see what we mean..!)

2 R f li f i li h2. Reference a list of your main accomplishments

3. Describe in detail your greatest achievement of all

4 List the people you will be leaving behind and those4. List the people you will be leaving behind, and those who will miss you the most.

5. Mention the people you helped

6. Identify the main questions that life asked you, and how you responded.

7 Write it in a style that reflects the type of person you7. Write it in a style that reflects the type of person you were – let go! After all, you’re already dead!

Here Lies...Name …

Born in...Start typing here…

Make a note of the valuesyou identified from the y f f

epitaph exercise in this space e.g. Freedom, courage,

respect.(If you struggle to identify a(If you struggle to identify a value ask yourself: what is

this in the service of?)

Checklist!

1. Is this value authentic?A value doesn’t feel like a ‘should’ or a ‘must’ it’sA value doesn’t feel like a ‘should’, or a ‘must’, it’s more a feeling of ‘this is the real me’.

2. Is this what you want your time on earth to be about?Look at the picture of the earth, right. Think of all the possible lives you could live in your short time here. Is this value something you want to stand for?

3. Is this your voice speaking?The final test is to ask yourself whether each value is yreally yours. If not, who else’s could it be? Don’t try and please anyone else with your value.

Bloom PsychologyBloom Psychology is an independent occupational psychology consultancy based

in London.We offer coaching, consultancy,

training measurement andtraining, measurement and assessment to individuals and businesses looking to make a

change for the better.

www.bloompsychology.com www.linkedin.com/robarcher