You may have heard of your ‘inner child’ – that hidden part of you that thinks, feels, and reacts as the very young person you once were.
Your inner child’s impulses might seem a bit familiar. What about the patterns of your Future Self? Have you fully envisioned the person you will be in 15, 20, or even 50 years?
Chase Hughes, president of Applied Behavior Research, suggests that imagining your Future Self can be a helpful way to check your behavior.
Or as Dr. Stephen R. Covey wrote in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Begin with the end in mind.
You, only better
Take a moment to think of yourself in 15 years. Are you fit or out of shape? Are you doing work you love, with people whom you admire? Or do you see yourself stuck in the same rut you may be in now, but older and more tired?
If you want to transcend who you are today and grow into someone else 15 years from now, you’ll have to begin at some point. Mr. Hughes suggests that this older, wiser version of yourself might help to guide your choices here and now. The trick is to stay focused on what Future You would do to become so fabulous.
If your future self is fit and active, how does he or she stay that way? When do you begin? What’s your plan to continue on that path?
If your future self has accomplished certain goals or lives in a place that matters to you, when and how will your present self set those plans in motion? What step can you take today to position yourself toward Future You?
Ask your future self for advice. Write down and act upon the information that comes, if the steps seem virtuous and if they will help you toward your goals.
Key takeaway
If you find yourself mindlessly passing time without much intention, consider stopping. You might call your future self to mind.
Imagine this person clearly. What is Future You wearing? What sort of life has Future You lived? Ask: who are you, and what do you know? What’s the next best thing for me to do (or stop doing) on the path to how cool you’ve become?
Who knows? Working with Future You might bring you a better present.
