“If your future self came to you and told you of the monumental things that happened, would you believe them?”
— Benjamin Hardy, Personality Isn’t Permanent
Have you ever faced a significant challenge in your life or career? If so, then you’ll know how important it is to get solid advice from someone who has been there before. Someone older, wiser, and more experienced.
What if this mentor is closer than you think? What if that person could come from within?
Your Future Self Is Your Greatest Resource
Your future self has been there. They’ve lived your struggle, and they hold a wealth of experience that can help with what you’re facing today. This can be everything from a promotion at work to striking out on your own in business, or even dealing with a significant loss.
Whatever the situation is, your future self can provide the guidance you need to overcome the obstacle and reach your goals. And they’re accessible any time you need them.
Here are a couple of easy ways to connect with your future self.
Send a Letter to Your Future Self
“Words just seem to come in tiny snippets at first, and it’s not important what’s coming out, it just means you’ve started a cosmic handshake or connection with your inner wisdom.”
—Michael Sandler, The Automatic Writing Experience
A simple way to access the support and guidance of your future self is to write a letter them. In the letter, you can:
- explore the goals you have
- discuss what you’re struggling with
- ask what they would advise you
Write this letter as if you were talking to an actual person. Imagine what you would look like in five, ten, or even twenty years. Imagine that older version of you is listening with compassion. When you lay out your problems, be specific and honest.
If you dare, read it out loud.
Then put pen to paper again; take a deep breath. Imagine they would give you one piece of advice. Imagine your pen writes down the message they are sending you.
What would they say? It’s OK to start writing “I don’t know what I’m hearing, but let’s keep writing. Keep writing. More words….” until a sentence arrives.
It may sound a bit woo-woo, but I’ve received many supportive, insightful, and sharp insights this way.
Imagine Being Your Future Self
“Nothing plays a greater role in how we construct our fortunes and misfortunes than the thoughts we choose to think.”
—Mike Dooley, Infinite Possibilities
Another way to connect with your future self is visualisation. When you use this technique, you’re visualizing and feeling what it would be like to be that future self.
Take five minutes to yourself and take a few breaths. Then close your eyes and imagine the future in detail.
For example, you’re five, ten, or twenty years into the future — you are your future self. Imagine:
- what you have achieved
- how you spend your day
- where you live and who lives with you
- what makes you laugh
- who you hang out with, and which people you’ve removed from your life
- how it feels when you’re being your future self
When you envision your future self, you can get a glimpse of who you’ll be. Your body gets a chance to feel joy, satisfaction, and gratefulness. This is crucial to break through any limiting beliefs or fears related to your future.
You don’t need to know the exact path yet. You don’t need to know each step. Just feel how amazing it will be to be your future self.
Then go away and do one thing — one baby step in the right direction. You might call someone, book a class, or buy a new journal.
Repeat, Repeat, Repeat
The more often you connect to your future self, the closer you get to them. You see their mindset, and hear their advice, and feel their gratitude for the journey they’ve done. You gain better clarity about your goals, find your purpose, and best of all, never feel alone again.
