First of all let me say that no two workshops are the same. Every one who comes through my door to take part in a workshop is an individual, their thoughts and goals will always be unique to them and I make sure every workshop reflects this as a reality.

However, lots of people I meet networking or via social media do ask what they can expect from a Future Perfect workshop so I decided to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard!) and summarise what the 4-hour sessions involve.

Who will I be attending with?

We’ve seen business owners, college students, stay at home Mums (and Dads), couples, mothers and daughters….you name it! We don’t manipulate the groups to include the same ‘type’ of person as we find you learn a lot about yourself and your own goals by spending time with people from all walks of life.

The one thing attendees do have in common is the urge to focus their lives, challenge themselves and set out some goals.

It’s always exciting when everyone first meets.

“I took comfort from the similarities I found when working with everyone in the group, the details were different but some fundamental aspects were the same and it was nice to know I was not alone.”

How is the session structured?

It’s all very informal. Everyone who attends is asked to wear comfortable clothing and the sessions are held in my home. Squashy sofas, shoes off (if you like!) plenty of tea, coffee and cake set the scene.

You are given a chance to chat to your fellow workshopees and then the ‘getting to know you’ session begins. This is just a quick ‘why are we here’ and I will give a short background into the science of psycho-cybernetics.

We then split into pairs and each person gets 10 or 15 minutes to talk about themselves and their life. The other person takes notes and focuses on any themes that come out.

For example, clients A and B at a recent workshop paired up and client A noticed that client B was feeling guilty about moving her social circle away from her immediate family. Her first serious boyfriend was the centre of her world and she felt torn that she’d rather be spending time with him. When client B pointed this out in the feedback session she advised client A that this was all part of growing and changing and that as a mum herself she would bet that her parents were proud of her and willing her happiness.

Objects and their meaning

As well as verbal observations we also use objects to draw out any patterns. My coffee table is full of shells, stones, glassware and ‘nick-nacks’ that have been collected on my travels.

Each person is asked to pick three objects. To represent past, present and future.

Client A picked three objects. The past was a tiny pink stone, present was solid shiny pebble, a little bigger than the first stone, and future was a shell that was large and open.

We discussed why these objects were chosen – bearing in mind there is only 5 or so minutes given to choose, the subconscious plays a big part. It turned out client A had been very shy as a child and lacking in confidence. She had grown and now is a rock to her family, friends and in her work. The open shell signified the change she was looking for – to be more open to adventure, to change and to stop avoiding ‘risk’ because she was scared.

Time to meditate

The next portion of the workshop is given over to total relaxation in the form of meditation.

Laying down on a comfortable sofa, swaddled in a blanket each client is taken into a meditative state by Ali. Each session differs of course but the aim is to clear the mind of the day-to-day minute and stress that we all suffer from and to focus on what makes us feel good, happy, excited...what are our goals?

This leads on to the last part of the workshop.

Creating your vision board

The last hour of the session is given over to creating your vision board.

A room full of magazines awaits the workshop attendees and they are invited to rip pages out, cut out images and words. There isn’t a great amount of ‘thought’ needed here as the meditation session will have brought clear images to mind of what needs to be included on the board.

I love this part – everyone is always so focused and it’s also amazing to see clients helping each other. After all we have all got to know one another during the session so often pictures are passed around with a ….”saw this and thought of you.”

Just like the people who attend, no two vision boards are ever the same. I often make a new board at workshops and how they differ never ceases to amaze me.

Some may find family is their focus, others work some a mixture of the two. Here’s an example of a client Claire who came to the session without any clear vision…..the overriding message that came out of hers is summed up in the top left corner….”Make mistakes, feel scared and smile!”

The vision boards go home with you and should be put somewhere they will be seen every day.

“Your workshops are amazing and really made a difference to how I look at life, I still look at my visions board everyday and have snuck on a few extra bits.”

It’s amazing how many clients report back to me that they’ve achieved a goal within a very short time of attending the course….sometimes a week, for some the day after the workshop has been a turning point.

What’s next?

“A great constructive workshop, I enjoyed the positive creativity, and love that it is still with me in my pictures, to remind and inspire me for the months to come.”

This is what one of our clients reported back – I think this sums up ‘what’s next’….its’ about being reminded of your goals and using your vision board as inspiration.

Some like to come back after 6 months or a year to do another session as just as we all change over time, so do our goals!

So…that’s what to expect! I hope to welcome you soon

Ali