I'm not the same person anymore
What you do today creates who you will be in the future
There are key points in life where each of us grapples with our purpose. We wonder whether what we’re doing for work matters, or whether we’ll achieve our dreams, or whether we’re even on the right path in life. We start reflecting on past decisions, then begin worrying about an unknown future. If we don’t answer these important concerns, will our future self be unhappy or feel like we wasted our life?
For clients grappling with these questions, during coaching sessions I often take them through an exercise called “visioning.” This process helps them step out of their current circumstances and see what their life and career can look like in the future. It’s a refreshing exercise because it inspires and encourages them to work towards their goals.
Sometimes I find people struggle with feeling stuck, or as though they haven’t achieved much in their life. So I take them through another powerful exercise. I ask them to tell me everything that has changed in their life in the last 5-10 years. Once they start sharing the story, they realize how much has changed and then we explore how they grew as a person during those changes.
Suddenly they are astonished to see how much they have personally changed and made progress towards goals. It then inspires them to focus on their new goals and not get discouraged if progress seems slow. As Bill Gates once observed, “We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten.” Sometimes we just need a different perspective on time, progress and success.
My father recently shared with me a fantastic article on this topic: How to Intentionally “Slow Boil” Into Your Desired Future Self. In the article and the accompanying video, author Benjamin Hardy walks through the steps of becoming the person—or, future self—who will accomplish our current self’s goals. I highly recommend reading the article and watching the video. Especially if you’re ready to reach new goals and become a powerful conscious leader.
Hardy’s article resonated with me because I have recently been thinking about how much I have changed in just the last 3 years. Sometimes I don’t feel like the same person I was in 2017. That’s how quickly things can change; in just a few weeks, months, or years, we can go through experiences or awakenings that increase our consciousness and completely alter who we are. It’s an exciting prospect; especially for those who may be unhappy or dissatisfied with their current state of being.
As Hardy explains, each of us can imagine and design our future self:
Your level of “consciousness” as a person is based on your developed skill and ability to imagine and create different futures. Confidence is the ability to see something in your mind and create it. The question is: Are you being a “creator” in whom you become as a person? Get as specific as you can, because your view of your own future is the thing shaping everything you’re doing here-and-now.
Working with a coach is an excellent way to assess where you’re at in life, get clarity on where you want to go, then build that future self you want to become. In 2020, we’ve all experienced significant changes. This is the time to consider who we want our future selves to be. Don’t wait for outside forces to create your future for you. You can become a conscious leader who co-creates your future. Who will you be in 2025? Take the step and start creating your future today.
Work happy. Live happy. BE happy.
Meredith
Meredith’s coaching helps conscious leaders step courageously into the future of work. Contact her to develop your conscious leadership and transform your organization into the workplace of the future.
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