1. Understand the identity shift that’s already happening.

You’ll identify what’s changing inside you — the parts of your story, roles, or identity that no longer feel true — and why this moment feels so emotionally charged.

2. Steady yourself through the emotional upheaval.

Identity change isn’t calm. It’s intense, disruptive, and deeply personal. You’ll learn how to stay grounded instead of overwhelmed.

3. See the “new you” beginning to emerge.

We surface the early shape of who you’re becoming and put language around it so you can finally understand what your inner world has been trying to tell you.

4. Build your next chapter with clarity, not guesswork.

You’ll walk away with a defining sentence about the person you’re becoming and simple next steps that align with that version of you.

5. Avoid the trap of snapping back into the old identity.

Most people retreat when things feel uncertain. You’ll learn how to move forward with steadiness instead of defaulting back to familiar roles that no longer fit.

You’ll feel at home here if any of this feels true:

• You’re in a life transition and don’t feel like “your old self.”
• You’re sensing a shift inside you, but you can’t articulate it yet.
• You keep trying to think your way to clarity but end up more overwhelmed.
• You've experienced an upheaval in life and are looking for a new direction and/or purpose.
• You want honest insight, emotional steadiness, and grounded next steps.
• You're feeling a pull for something "more" in your life—something deeper, more meaningful, or more rewarding.
• You’re ready for support that goes deeper than motivation or goal-setting.

Previous NSP pilot members are welcome—this is the natural next step—but the program is open to new participants as well.

I’m Colleen M. Story — author, writing mentor, and creator of The Next Story Project. I’ve spent years helping writers and creative people untangle self-doubt, reconnect with what matters to them, and make sense of the seasons when their old life stops fitting.

My books on creative purpose, burnout, and the inner life of writers grew out of my own experience of building a life that looked fine from the outside while feeling completely off on the inside. The Next Story Project is the next step in that work: a place to look directly at those “something has to change” moments and turn them into a real next chapter, not just a private worry.

This Becoming Who You Are Now cohort is built from the tools I’ve been developing and testing over time — including a recent 4-week pilot program where we explored how to recognize and track the signals that show up when life is asking for more. That first group confirmed what I’d suspected for a long time: people don’t just need motivation or another goal-setting system. They need a way to understand who they’re becoming, and support while everything inside is shifting.

This next-stage program is my way of offering that support in a clear, structured, and deeply human way — especially for people who are tired of trying to figure it out alone.