Creating a vision board. Prepare a collage – either online or with photos and paper – that sums up the future self you hope to become. Browse through magazine or online galleries and search for pictures and phrases that represent the person you envision yourself becoming. Paste all these images and words together to create a larger image depicting your future self. Writing a letter. Another powerful way to forge a connection with your future self is with a “Dear Future Me” letter. Write in detail about all the things you are proud of or inspired by about your future self. Go on to tell exactly HOW and WHY your future self reached these successes.
Think of two people you admire. What characteristics describe them? If you could change something about your local community or the world in general, what would it be? If your house was on fire, what three things would you take with you? When was the last time you felt really accomplished? Describe the moment and why you felt this way. Which topics do you stand up for or get really riled up about? Why do these topics get you going? Once you have considered these questions/statements, look for themes in your answers. Any recurring themes may shed light on your values.
If you are not currently living out the values that are important to you or that will help you manifest into your future self, you will need to do some restructuring and goal-setting. [4] X Research source
For example, Joe finds that his biggest values are community involvement, integrity, and leadership. In his current job, he is a supervisor at a non-profit organization that offers scholarships and training to under-served student populations. He learns that all the funds are not being directed to students as he once thought. Despite him meeting his values of community involvement and leadership, Joe may feel dissatisfied with his job because the organization is not one of integrity. Joe must develop new goals that align with his values to bring him balance and happiness.
Questioning your assumptions - Think twice about unquestioned beliefs or biases, asking yourself “What else could I assume?” or “What evidence do I have for or against this assumption?"[7] X Research source Teaching learned skills to others - Whether it’s information from your career or study gleaned from a hobby, teach it. Teaching what you know to others helps you gain exposure, allows you to be seen as an expert to others, and enhances your knowledge of the subject. [8] X Research source Reading books Cultivating relationships with intellectuals Journaling Meditating Engaging in problem-solving Joining organizations Attending workshops Getting involved with projects
If you have trouble pinpointing any passions, think about the last event you attended. You had to buy a ticket, coordinate your schedule with a buddies or partners, and find something to wear. You put in a lot of effort to go to this event. Now, think about other events you have attended over the past year. Do you notice any recurring themes?[10] X Research source
Spend a few minutes each day paying careful attention to your self-talk. What are you saying to yourself as you go about your daily routine? Are these thoughts uplifting or belittling? If your self-talk contains a lot of criticisms, aim to replace these negative thoughts with more positive, helpful statements. For example, if you catch yourself thinking “This is too hard. I don’t know how to do it” reframe these statements to “This is a difficult task. I may need extra help in getting it done. "
When we hold ourselves to unrealistically high standards (perfectionism), we will always fall short. Having realistic expectations about what you can accomplish motivates you to work harder and makes your feel good about yourself. When you move past perfectionism, mistakes aren’t permanent failures, and even tiny successes are worthy of celebration. Assuming that everyone else has a better time than you is a recipe for disaster. All humans have shortcomings and comparing yourself to someone else based on what you see from the outside is unfair to you. The only comparisons you should be making is with yourself today versus yesterday.
When we hold ourselves to unrealistically high standards (perfectionism), we will always fall short. Having realistic expectations about what you can accomplish motivates you to work harder and makes your feel good about yourself. When you move past perfectionism, mistakes aren’t permanent failures, and even tiny successes are worthy of celebration. Assuming that everyone else has a better time than you is a recipe for disaster. All humans have shortcomings and comparing yourself to someone else based on what you see from the outside is unfair to you. The only comparisons you should be making is with yourself today versus yesterday.
Think of a highly charged topic (e. g. abortion, war, artificial intelligence, etc. ) and take the opposite side of the argument from your own. List five valid statements that support this position. Recall a time when you were betrayed or hurt by another. List three potential reasons this person may have hurt you, either by accident or on purpose.
Quit waiting for an “okay”. When you have a big decision to make, it can be easy to delay or put off making a choice because you are waiting for some other key player in your life to grant you permission. Self-reliance means trusting your intuition and making the choice that suits without relying on others to tell you its okay. Jump off the see-saw. Going back and forth on a decision after making it builds self-doubt. Once you have chosen, move on. Stop weighing the pros and cons and doubting the value of your decision. Stay the course. Even if a decision you made leads to subpar results, it doesn’t mean you’re on the wrong path. If you truly want something, you don’t roll over and surrender after being faced with opposition. keep pushing towards the life you want.
Conduct an inspection of your close relationships. Do the people you spend the most time with reflect your personal values? Do these people make you feel good about yourself? Do they motivate you to be your best self? If the answers to any of these are “no”, you may need to distance yourself from these negative influencers.
