Fire Up Your Future Self
Your future self is your personal elf.
Consider it, as outlined by Boyatzis and Akrivou (2006), as the image of what kind of person you wish to be and what you want to accomplish in life. Your future self, also called Ideal Self, is your motivational driver: what will give you the thrust to move toward your personal and/or professional ambition. It is made up of hope, motivation, and your core identity. Your future self can change over time, but it’s a compass for how you want to live your life. As Daniel Gilbert sums it up: “Human beings are works in progress that mistakenly think they're finished.”
So if you’re stuck, chances are you thought you were finished…but not so fast! There is a fire to light. Here are three ways to help fire up your future self:
Pen to paper: Teleport yourself 10 years from today, to a place where you are living the exact life you want to have, and write a letter to yourself. Work backward from that day and fill in the blanks, as it were, of the story that happened between today and 10 years from now. Think of the people, places, moments, experiences, what skills you were utilizing, what the environment was like, etc. Make sure to scan all aspects that came into play along this journey to your future self, and enjoy the process of narrating this story. Finally, seal the envelope and tuck it away to read down the road, or send it to a friend and have them send it back to you at any point in time within the next 10 years. Putting it out into the world turns the dream to reality, because remember: the mind cannot differentiate between real and imagined. What comes alive intensifies.
Magic over mind: If you aren’t into writing future-setting letters, try the reverse. Simply ask yourself: what if I were guaranteed to succeed at whatever I take on? What would I experience? Get as specific as you can.
Activate your artist: Another powerful way to activate your future self — particularly if you are not the writing or contemplating kind — is to grab a stash of magazines and simply cut out words, phrases, and images that speak to you and represent what you want for yourself. A graduate degree, a corner office, a new look? Whatever it may be, find the visuals that represent this future.
Whichever you choose — and kudos if you are doing all three — decide on the one thing you will activate between today and six months from now to move you toward that bright future.
With joy,
Reference:
Boyatzis, R. E., & Akrivou, K. (2006). The ideal self as the driver of intentional change. Journal of management development.