“Thinking deeply about your choices and actions from the stance of your future self can serve as both a motivational and a corrective force.” — Cheryl Strayed
What is Future Self? I’ll explain Future Self in simple terms and why you might care.
Your Future Self is simply you in the Future.
Your Future Self could be you tomorrow, you next week, you 30 days from now, you 90 days from now, you 1 year from now, you 10 years from now, etc.
You can use your Future Self to visualize the self you would like to become.
You can also use this image of your Future Self to motivate yourself and guide your decisions and actions.
In psychology, the Future Self research explores the processes and consequences of thinking about yourself in the future, and it’s part of a broader concept called “Possible Selves”.
Possible Selves are multiple alternative versions of your self, that include past and future selves. Together these Possible Selves characterize your fantasies, fears, and regrets of who you might have been and who you may become.
You think about your Future Self similarly to how you think about other people.
In fact, the further in the future your project, the more your brain shuts down and treats your Future Self like a stranger.
The more connected you feel to your Future Self psychologically, the better you treat your Future Self today.
When you feel connected to your Future Self, you are more likely to do things like save for retirement, make healthy choices, and choose more ethical behaviors, because you can see and feel the consequences of your behavior choices in your Future Self.
Because of this, some people believe that Future Self might be one of the most powerful tools for personal development and realizing your potential.
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