Future Self

What would your Future Self say to you today that could change your outlook or your trajectory and bring you closer to where you want to head? Don’t look back in anger is what the song lyrics say, why not look back with pride at the direction and clever thinking that you took now.

Timeline theory or looking back from the future to where you are today can be scary stuff when considering what your 80-year-old self would think of what you’re doing today. For you, that might be 20, 30 or 50 years from today, but either way, would you be happy, proud and excited by your current performance or direction? Or, conversely, would you be filled with a deep sense of foreboding and fear for what you know is coming as a result of your next action or inaction?

When I consider my 25-year-old self, I know that there are times when a momentary pause might have prevented me from making that error in judgment or that wrong decision. It could have been very different if I had had those extra people to help me shine a light on things from a different angle, to help me consider different options. That’s the power of hindsight, reviewing my inexperience, my tunnel vision and lack of support at that point in time. Now, as a person considerably older than 25, I am able to go forward 40 years from now and look back on my current performance.

If you were to do this, what would you like to tell yourself today?What are the problems you are manifesting today that in hindsight are not that big or could have easily been avoided? With a little bit of help from a certain friend or colleague, a change of location or environment, you can gain a totally different perspective and potentially uncover the breakthrough that you were looking for. Having your nose so close to the grindstone, so immersed in things, can affect your peripheral vision and prevent you from seeing what is going on. That’s the beauty of hindsight.

Questions to ask yourself:

Are you doing the right things now that your future self would approve of?

Would you be advising yourself to seek out further support?

Would you be challenging yourself to look after yourself in a better way physically, nutritionally, mentally?

What would your future self say to you today to get you to achieve more, to become successful, to be relaxed or to have more fun?

What things might you regret not having done? Those things that you could set up now?

By casting yourself into the future and reflecting back, you are able to change the current viewpoint and focus. There are no right or wrong answers, only thoughts and observations that you can choose to ignore or act upon. What is it time for you to do now?