I recently attended a teleclass on Business Turnarounds and the instructor asked this question in many ways and in many situations. The more I heard it, the more powerful I realized it is.

It is a very simple, very effective way to envision the future and to identify the gap between where you are and where you want to be. Who 'do' I have to be to [fill in the blank]?

There is no limit on the answer. you have the 'right' answer or answers inside you.

For example, who do I have to be to make money doing work I love? Some one who is unafraid. Someone who is willing to take risks. Someone who is willing to be unconventional or untraditional. Someone who trusts God and the Universe to send the opportunities and who trusts my self enough to take advantage of them. [These are my answers. Yours will probably be different.]

Once the answers come to me, I need to look at each of them. The fact that the question is out there makes me think that, in this moment, I am feeling fear and not trusting. The next step is to convert my responses to affirmations in the present tense. I am willing to make a living doing work I love. I am a risk-taker. I am willing to be unconventional. I trust God and myself.

Try working with this question for a while and let me know how it works for you.

Some additional variations might be:

-What kind of company must we be in order to attract the associates and customers we want to attract? [This one probably depends on how you have defined your ideal associates/employees and ideal customers.]

-What kind of wife/husband must I be in order to be in a loving, nurturing relationship?

-Who must I be in order to live a life of integrity with my beliefs and values?

-What kind of [profession/job title] must I be in order to grow a reputation as an outstanding [profession/job title].

-What kind of parent must I be in order for my kids to enjoy spending time with me?

I'm sure you can think of others and apply this to your life.