“People do not wander around and then find themselves at the top of Mount Everest.” — Zig Ziglar
Why care about your Future Self? Your Future Self represents the person you will eventually become.
That could be you five minutes from now, you a month from now, you a year from now, etc.
There are a several reasons to care about your Future Self, and here are a few examples:
- When you have more empathy and connection with your Future Self, you take better care of yourself today.
- You make better choices, because you feel the impact of your daily choices and how they shape your Future Self.
- The dreams you have for your Future Self can inspire and pull you through today.
- If you have a Vivid Vision for your Future Self, you can motivate your actions and ground your choices.
- Your Future Self’s hindsight is your Present Self’s foresight for this moment.
- You have to think like your Future Self, and act accordingly, to realize your dreams.
- You are in the best position to own your Future Self so you become who you want to be
Ultimately, by caring about your Future Self, you make it easier to embrace the moment, while shaping your Future Self…a moment at a time…a decision at a time…a thought at a time…a feeling at a time…an action at a time.
And your Future Self will help lift you through your toughest moments, and your greatest challenges, as you write your story forward.
Your Future Self is the Secret to Being More Present
Your Future Self is this Moment. Each choice now determines who you become.
There is a beautiful theme in Peaceful Warrior, by Dan Millman. The big idea is that you are this moment:
Where are you? …. HERE.
What time is it? … NOW.
What are you? … THIS MOMENT.
That’s right. You are this moment. Right here, right now.
The bigger idea is that this moment is a reflection of your Future Self.
This moment is how you forge your Future Self.
Your Futures Self is the Sum of Your Decisions
Long ago a mentor said to me, “You are the sum of your choices.” It’s the kind of sage advice as soon as you hear it, it rings perfectly true.
There are a lot of variations, but I think this quote by Albert Camus captures the idea really well:
“Life is a sum of all your choices”.
By making decisions in the present, you change and control:
- Who you become
- How you feel
- How you perform
- What you achieve
- What problems you solve
- Who you have in your life
- What kind of experiences you create
I like to remind people that if you want greater growth, solve greater problems.
It’s pretty empowering when you think about how much can control your Future Self through your thoughts, feelings, and actions today.
And so much will be driven by the story you tell yourself about yourself and your Future Self.
Your words matter…and your words have power.
Your Future Self Can Help You Avoid More Do-Overs
We tend to project into the future, just more of our past, which keeps our present stuck.
We repeat our history.
You know that thinking ahead can help you in all areas of your life.
That’s the idea of using your Future Self.
If you could go back 5 years in time, imagine all the things you would have done differently.
Rather than just looking back from today in hindsight, look back from your Future Self for foresight, 1 year, 5 years, or 10 years from now.
You can work backwards from the end in mind, while working forwards to realize your vision for your Future Self.
Naturally, you might find it difficult to imagine your Future Self, even a month from now.
You will get better through prediction, practice, and progress.
Your Trials and Triumphs Today are Stories for Your Future Self
You write your story forward each day, as you take on your day, and as you work through your challenges.
Your trials and triumphs are how you write the pages of your storybook your Future Self will look back on.
Another wise mentor put it like this. You control two things in life:
- Your attitude
- Your actions
In other words, each moment, right now, is your chance to practice some great wisdom from Stephen Covey:
“Don’t react. Choose your response.”
Another way to think about it is, you can’t always control what’s on your plate, but you can control how you eat it.
And the irony is that the better you get at eating it, the more you can choose and influence what lands on your plate.
Whether you win or lose, you can always learn, and these lessons are the lifeblood of your stories.
Dream Bigger, Better Dreams with Your Future Self
The science says we consistently underestimate the amount of change that we’re capable of.
As a result, we fail to dream big enough.
This undermines your potential. You sell your Future Self short.
You limit your future through limited vision and less than bold dreams.
If you aren’t dreaming big enough, you might need to imagine your Future Self further into the future.
What you can achieve in 10 years is absolutely astonishing, if you go for it.
And, you need to think like your future Self to achieve your dreams.
You need to feel, think and do like your Future Self to make your greatest dreams come true.
Own Your Future Self
If you don’t worry about your Future Self, who will?
You Future Self needs you.
The best person in the world to envision who you will become is you.
The best person to create and shape your Future Self is you.
The best way to brighten your day in every way is by becoming the person you want to be and creating the experiences that you want to create.
Use this moment to own and shape your Future Self.
And fall in love with what you’re capable of.
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