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Wouldn't it be great if our future self could help us in the present? Does that sound perplexing? Well, let's dive right into it. From learning from previous errors to setting attainable goals, our future self is the key to unlocking a happier and more fulfilled life.
We often strive to make decisions that will benefit our future selves daily. Whether saving money for retirement, pursuing education for career advancement, or maintaining a healthy lifestyle for long-term fitness, we recognize the importance of planning.
But what if I told you that your future self could also significantly improve your well-being? By tapping into the wisdom and motivation of your future self, you can make more thoughtful decisions, set meaningful goals, and cultivate a greater sense of fulfilment in the present. This is the power of your future self, empowering you to shape your present. Letting your future self dictate your present is called 'Temporal distancing', the theory proposed by psychologists Nira Liberman and Yaacov Trope.
Frequently, we imagine ourselves in the future, and no one wishes to be upset. We have plans, no matter how much we fail. So, in our mind, in the future, we are always happy or want to be satisfied.
Sometimes, we can get motivation from our future selves by envisioning ourselves established in that place we've always dreamt of. The clearer we can picture the image of our future self, the greater the chance we'll act according to it.
We strive for groundbreaking changes in our lives. To this end, we face many challenges and obstacles and procrastinate. However, contemplating optimistic outcomes can automatically motivate us to engage in the task. That's an excellent way to cope with the stress and anxiety of our present selves.
Mushrat Jahan Priyoti, an admission aspirant, frequently struggles with the uncertainty of whether she can achieve her dream of getting admission to her desired university. Often, she finds herself burdened and uncertain about the path ahead. But When she visualizes her future self of getting admitted into her dream university, she gains transparency and motivation to make choices that match her long-term targets.
She visualizes excelling in her academic career, positively impacting the world, and living a life filled with purpose and fulfilment. This visual presentation of her future self plays the role of mentor and encourages her to make decisions that will bring her closer to fulfilling her aspirations.
She will understand how her actions of today will impact her future self. By prioritizing her academic tasks with her future success in mind, she will feel more motivated and concentrated in her studies.
There are several ways of getting motivated by our future selves. One is to write letters from our future self to the present one. For example, You cut a sorry figure in your first semester, also you are dealing with financial problems. But you dreamed of becoming a top leader in your job field. Now imagine and write that future leader a letter to your present self who just had a terrible result and doesn't have anything to eat for dinner. Your problems are real and severe, but don't you want to overcome them and become the person you want? It might sound peculiar, but the technique helps motivate oneself not to stop and keep hustling.
Another way to motivate yourself is to ask, ' Can the present condition be the future I want? ' If yes, one should try to change it, be it behaviour or habit. And if it is not, one should not burden themselves with stress and keep believing in the process.
If we want to make our stress invisible, we can peep into our past just to remember how we've fallen into a stressful situation and how tactfully we faced and dealt with the problem. And the situation doesn't bother us anymore. So, we must apply those tactics to deal with our current situation.
Hence, we can improve our lives by imagining our future selves and synchronizing them with our present. So, why wait for tomorrow if we can enjoy our best life today?