Inspire the Future You

What Does it Mean to Inspire the Future You?

Imagine yourself in the future. It doesn’t matter exactly how far into the future. Now imagine yourself in the future looking back at you today, this very day. And imagine this “Future You” looking back to today and being inspired by a decision that you made today. What would be that decision? What can you be doing today that could bring about a change within yourself and that will be an inspiration?

Now you may be thinking that you must come up with some significant step or even leap forward. I suggest to you that this is not necessary and that the biggest changes occur with the smallest of steps. Think of Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary who climbed Mount Everest. Their journey to the top started with just one step. If we are thinking of footsteps, it probably started before taking that type of step.

In this article, I will look at change and growth. I will be suggesting some practical steps that you can take to start your journey of inspiration. I will look at the role of therapy and how psychotherapy can play a part in someone’s growth. First, I will talk about why this topic matters and why I believe it is important.

Why Thinking about Your Future Self Matters

A lot has been said and a lot of ink has been spilled on the topic of mindfulness and focusing on the here and the now. There is no doubt that focusing on the present helps. At the same time, though, we need to make space and allow ourselves to think into the future. Forward thinking helps us.

Sport psychology has had a lot to say about this. Many athletes talk about the benefits of visualising outcomes before they occur. They will stand at the starting blocks, for example, before a big race, and they will visualise themselves running that race. They will visualise themselves completing the race. It helps.

Psychological research also suggests that we are biased towards making decisions that provide immediate gains, but we tend to make better decisions if we take a medium to long term approach in our thinking. For example, we may not feel like exercising today in the moment. However, if we take a medium to long term approach, we will recognise the importance of exercising in the future over a period of time. And so we can gather the motivation or commitment to exercise.

Our abilities to visualise the future will vary from person to person. I’m reminded of that standard interview question, “Where do you want to be in 5 years’ time?” In a job interview, I sometimes query the use of this sort of question. However, in our day to day lives, it does help to think about the future. For some people, they can visualise 5 years in advance. For others, it’s only 1 year or perhaps 2 years. Think about that for the moment. How far ahead can you visualise yourself? Are you able to form a picture of yourself in 5 years or perhaps even 10 years’ time? Or can you only visualise yourself in about 1- or 2-years’ time? If it is 1 year or if it is 10 years, it doesn’t matter. The important point is to try and visualise a Future You. Picture your life and what it might be like in the future in the way that you want it to be.

Common Barriers to Change and Growth

There are barriers to change and growth, and we should look at those now before we get too far. Here are some of the common barriers.

We can sometimes be held back by a fear of failure. This reminds me of the so-called fatherly advice that Homer Simpson once gave to Lisa and Bart: “You tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is never try.”

We can experience events in our lives and interactions with people who tell us that failure hurts and that it is better to avoid that hurt. “Don’t try. You may fail. And if you do fail, it will hurt.” Alternatively, we may have learned through our life that we have to succeed in all things and in all ways. Some people learn that if they don’t achieve 100% all of the time, they have not succeeded. These types of thinking can hold us back from trying.

Another challenge, and one that is similar to the fear of failure, is self-doubt. Some self-doubt can help us. If we have a bit of self-doubt, it can remind us that we are not perfect and that we may need to look at what we are doing and make improvements. A little self-doubt can energise us. But if we have too much self-doubt, it can get in the way. Too much self-doubt stops us in our tracks. It makes us believe that we don’t have what it takes, and so we don’t make the attempt.

There can be other challenges as well. Psychological issues such as anxiety or depression can get in the way. They can play havoc on our levels of energy, motivation, our ability to concentrate. If we happen to be struggling with loss, that can deplete us of all energy and rob us of focus.

No matter what the barrier, my belief is that it can be overcome. It may not be possible to reduce the barrier to nothing, at least not at first. But I do believe it is possible to reduce the barrier, no matter what it is, to a size that is manageable. At least some of this has to do with adopting a growth mindset.

Practical Steps to Start Inspiring the Future You

What can you be doing, right now, to start inspiring the future version of you?

1. Clarify your vision.

Have a clear vision of what you want to do and where you want to be. Much like setting out on a journey, you need to know the destination. You can clarify your vision by taking the following steps:

Reflect on your core values. Think about what matters to you most in life, and think about the principles that guide your decisions.
One way of identifying your core values is asking yourself, what would I protect at all costs? Ask yourself, what is so important to me that I would protect it at all costs? Reflecting on your core values is a very worthwhile exercise. It is something that you should come back to from time to time. It helps to hold them uppermost in our mind.

Identify your strengths and passions. By identifying your strengths and your passions, you will identify those things that are important to you and that you excel at.

It could be an activity in which you are fully occupied, losing all track of time. It may be something that you know from experience you are good at or that others praise you for doing. It may give you that spark of curiosity or enthusiasm like nothing else.

An important step is to consider your purpose. Before we do something, it is often very helpful to clearly understand why we are doing it, why it is so important to us. This is the core of motivation.

It is likely that your purpose will be aligned with at least some of your values. Consider the ways in which you want to contribute to others or to the world around you. What will be your legacy?

Finally, use your imagination. You don’t have to settle for the mundane or the usual. Envision yourself growing, developing, or changing in some way. What can you do or what can you achieve that you have not done or achieved before, and that fits within your values, purpose, and strengths?

2. Cultivate self-compassion.

The topic of self-compassion is important, and it is huge. What follows is a summary.

Be gentle with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Treat yourself with care and understanding.

No one is perfect. Mistakes happen. Shortcomings exist. If you have taken a misstep, look at the context. Understand the circumstances and forgive yourself. Avoid making comparisons with others, “for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.”

Exercising self-compassion also involves recognising that challenges are the part of human experience. No one has the perfect life, not even those who seem to have it all. We all experience joy and sorrow, gain and loss. We will experience setbacks as well as successes. Setbacks don’t define us.

3. Think of the way forward.

You have the vision. You have identified where your future you would like to be or what your future you would be doing. Now consider the steps that are needed along that pathway to the future you.

Set up goals or subgoals. Try and make them as specific as possible. Ask yourself what you need to achieve each goal and consider how you can best obtain those needs.

It is also important to notice how far you may have already travelled in your journey to your goals. They may be closer than you realise.

4. Seek support when it’s needed.

You don’t have to do this alone. There will be people around you who will be willing and able to help. A partner or other loved one is likely to help you. By sharing at least some of your goals with them, they can encourage you and provide you with any needed support.

If it is needed, professional support is also available. For instance, psychotherapy can help you to clarify your vision, keep you accountable, and provide you with tools to help you on your way. It can help you overcome some of the barriers that are standing there, getting in your way.

Be Your Own Inspiration

As you move forward, reflect on what you are doing and what you have done. Prepare to be bold and to take risks. Take stock of what you are achieving. Allow the Future You – that person who will be around in a few months’ or years’ time – to look back and be inspired by what you are doing and who you are today.

We can be our own inspiration. We can change and achieve and overcome. All it takes is the smallest of steps right now.

What will it be?

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If you want more information about this topic or if you feel the need for support in helping you to achieve your goals, you can contact Astra Psychology or any other experienced psychologist or psychotherapist. Be prepared to reach out for help. It is always available.