MOTIVATION AND SELF IMPROVEMENT Ankit Yadav

Seeking Help from your Future
By SelfAnkit Yadav

So many of us wish to grow and do better in life. And yet, there are so many times where we can't decide our next set of actions. We have a dream or a goal to achieve, but we don't know how to achieve it. Though there are many ways to tackle the above situation, I have a simple solution that may help you clear out your path. 

Difference in  Personality:
Take a moment to think about the person you are right now and the person you want to be (your goal). There is a difference in the two "you". It could be the difference in habits, difference of thoughts, differences in beliefs, so on and so forth. Let us call your present personality the "present self" and the person you want to be your "future self". You may say that your goal doesn't really require you to change your personality. It may seem intuitive to think like that, but the reality is that every change that you make to your life leaves you as a different person than you were previously.

Even a goal as simple as getting up early in the morning instead of late, brings major shifts into your normal day. Because you need to get up early, you'll start sleeping early at night. You'll get a lot more work done as you are starting early. You may find an extra boost in your confidence. You may feel more energetic than ever. You become a different person.

 The Future Self :
Your future self is the person who is already there, where you want to be. He has the perfect habits you need. His attitude to his work is just what is required. He is far more disciplined than you are. Perhaps a lot more mature, patient and experienced too. 

The Meeting:  
Now let us have a meeting with our future self (imaginative, of course... Time machines are yet to be invented :P ). Say there is a room with two chairs. Enter the room. Take a seat. Soon your future self enters the room. You can see a smile on his face. His face reflects genuine peace and joy. He is happy with his life. He is doing what he loves. He is the person you shall be soon. Start a conversation. Explain your situation. Express your troubles. Ask him for help. You could talk about the things that you want to do but can't. You can talk about the mistake that you keep making again and again. You could ask for help with anything that is bothering you.

Now try to imagine his replies. What would he suggest you to do? Would he say that you need to take a certain action? Would he ask you to become more consistent in your efforts? Would he ask you to install a new habit? Remember, this is your future self who is already at your goal state. So the solutions he may suggest would aim to "reduce the difference between your present self and future self". You might feel that it may not be possible to imagine all the differences of your future self. Certain things only come with experience and cannot be merely simulated in the mind. Though this is true, but I also feel that it may hold only for a small percentage of the difference. More often than not, we already know the changes we need to make. But we are not clear about them. So being in the shoes of the person who has already "done it" helps us to clear this up. 

The  Solution:
What we are really trying to do, is to gain clarity over the changes we need to make. When you think of your present self from the perspective of your "future self" it becomes easier to notice all that is still missing. Eventually, this could help you make up your mind and make the required changes. ......................................................................

Ankit Yadav is a post graduation student of Computer Science. He is passionate about personal development and loves to write about his ideas. His goal is to find meaning and purpose in life and help anyone and everyone who wants to do the same.

Y ou can follow his work on GrowConscious.com  The post Seeking Help from your Future Self appeared first on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement.