Before You Begin
Undertake this exercise when you’re feeling calm, positive, and open to reflection. Choose a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted and can focus fully. Allow 15–30 minutes to complete your Lifeline and take time to reflect on what it reveals about your career, leadership, and life journey.
Step 1: Draw Your Lifeline
On a blank page, draw a vertical axis (y-axis) from –100% to +100% (with 0 = neutral). Draw a horizontal axis (x-axis) across the middle, labeling it with ages from 20 to 55+.
Step 2: Plot Your Career Milestones
Think about the most significant events in your career (e.g., promotions, role changes, achievements, challenges).
Mark an ‘X’ at the age you were when the event occurred, placing it above the line if positive, and below if negative. Join the dots to reveal the shape of your career journey.
Step 3: Plot Your Leadership Growth
Using a different colour, map the moments that shaped you most as a leader (e.g., managing a team, leading change, executive presence). Connect the dots to form your Leadership Line.
Step 4: (Optional) Plot Personal Milestones
Use a third colour to map personal events that impacted your energy or career focus (family, education, health, moves).
Step 5: Reflect
Consider these prompts as you review your lines:
– Where are the biggest peaks and troughs? What was happening?
– What patterns or triggers do you see?
– How have personal milestones influenced career or leadership?
– What does this reveal about your career drivers and leadership identity?
– Looking ahead, what do you want the next 2 – 5+ years to look like?
Step 6: Level Up
Identify one career focus and one leadership focus to build on now.
Career Intention: ____________________
Leadership Intention: _________________
Next Steps
Every experience along your Lifeline has shaped who you are today. The power lies in how you choose to use these insights.
- What do you want to create next?
- How will you lead yourself — and others — into the future?
Next Steps
You’ve mapped your journey — now it’s time to design your next breakthrough.
- Take one aligned action this week — a conversation, a course, a new habit.
- Revisit your Lifeline every 6–12 months to track your evolution.
Move towards the career and life you want to create.
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