Wednesday, October 30, 2024

ACTIVITY: The Life Soundtrack

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ACTIVITY: The Life Soundtrack

Create a playlist of songs that represent different stages or significant moments in your life.

Chris Guillebeau

Oct 30

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Every so often, I’ll suggest a short activity to help you feel less overwhelmed and more purposeful. You should be able to complete it in less than 15 minutes.

Today’s activity: spend a few minutes creating a playlist of songs that represent different stages or significant moments in your life.

Think about how certain songs can instantly take you back: the first few notes play, and suddenly you're sixteen again, driving with the windows down. Or you're in your first apartment, figuring out adulthood. Or you're walking out of a tough job, feeling both terrified and free.

Music doesn't just bring back memories—it has the remarkable ability to recreate the exact feelings we had in those moments. The frustration, the determination, the relief, the transformation. Each song becomes a time capsule, preserving not just what happened, but how it felt to be there.

Think about the songs that have been present in your life during intense times.

1. Songs of Change

These are the songs that got you through major transitions—the music that helped you process change when everything felt uncertain. Maybe it's the album you played on repeat during a cross-country move, or the song that helped you realize it was time for a career change.

Pay particular attention to any songs that didn't just witness these transitions, but also helped you navigate them.

2. Evolution Tracks

These are the songs that tell the story of who you've been, who you are, and who you're becoming. Include music that captures different versions of yourself—not just what you were listening to, but songs that reflect how you saw the world at different points.

What music makes you think, "That was so me at 23," and what sounds like who you're growing into now?

3. The Emergency Kit

Think of this as your musical first aid kit. These are the songs you turn to when you need to shift your state of mind: the track that helps you focus when your thoughts are scattered, the one that energizes you when you're dragging, or the song that helps you feel centered when everything seems chaotic.

Choose music that helps you reset.