What would your future self say?

Let your Future Self Advise You

Are you glad January is over? All the over achievers have retreated along with their advice on goal setting and how to make this year the best one ever. It can be overwhelming.  Maybe now you can just get back to work as you wait for sanity to return to earth.  I get it.  After all, they said the same thing last year, right?

Here’s the problem with all that hype…

Most goals focus on action, on doing stuff;  I want to lose weight, get out of debt and find the partner of my dreams.  All actions.  And that’s the problem.  Because before you take action, you need to know where you are going or in this case, who you want to be.  It’s kinda like before you go on a trip, you need to have a destination in mind.

When goals don’t work it is because the why behind the goal isn’t clear and congruent with who you are and who you want to become.  For example, why do you want to lose weight?  Maybe your answer is because you want to BE someone who is healthy and active for a big event coming up.  Why do you want to get out of debt?  Maybe your answer is because you want to BE someone who enjoys financial peace and can afford to live the life that you dream of. You get the idea…

It’s important to first recognize the ‘why’ behind your goal and one way to do that is to envision who you want to be.  Stephen Covey called this “Begin with the end in mind.”

So here’s your chance… take a few moments, close your eyes and just allow yourself to imagine the person you want to BE when you accomplish that goal or intention that you have for the new year.  Can you see her?  Now notice everything about your future self… what she looks like, how she thinks, how she feels, her environment, who she hangs out with and how she spends her time.  This is more than a flat Stanley type of image. Instead think of her as a real person… which of course she is!

…Got it?

Now here’s the important part.  Imagine your future self talking to you and giving you the advice you need to actually become your future self.  What would she say to you?  What would she encourage you to do first?  What would need to be in place so that a year from now you could look in the mirror and say, “OMG, I really did it!  I became who I envisioned.”  See you don’t really need a bunch of outsiders telling you what to do… you just need to listen to your future self telling you how to Be.   And your future self is one of the best advisers you could ever get to know.  Try it and let me know the results.

PS This is the kind of exercise that coaches often do with clients to help them see the possibilities in their future.  It’s like having your own coach in your pocket:)

Want to go farther and schedule a clarity call to determine who you want to be in the future year?

Grab your spot for a complementary session here: https://bookme.name/dreamachiever

Erin Shaw

Wow! Lynne’s expertise in personality styles, mindset and priority management is a powerful combination.  The interactive and personalized format was engaging and gave me tools I can use and actions I can take right away. I am able to more clearly articulate what my business is (What do you do?) and who it serves (Who is your ideal client?), and I have come away with a system for building my business (How do I do it?) Erin Shaw