What your “future self” would tell you
One way to navigate a challenging moment is to envision what your “future self” would tell you about how to approach that challenge.
Oftentimes, when we’re struggling to figure out how to move through uncertainty or something difficult, we get so caught up in the details that we lose sight of the bigger picture.
We forget that we actually do know ways we can help ourselves through difficult times.
That intuition and knowledge, though, is often buried beneath the emotions, anxiety, and limiting beliefs we hold about that particular challenge.
Consider this: have you ever had someone come to you with a problem that you’re experiencing yourself, and after giving them some advice you end up having the realization that the same advice might work for you?
When we look at “other people’s” challenges, we do so through a lens that’s not clouded by emotion or internal struggles.
It allows us to view and process circumstances with a clearer, deeper level of understanding.
Try this:
Identify a major challenge you’re faced with right now that you’re having a hard time navigating through.
Imagine for a moment that your “future self” is giving you advice on how to approach this situation.
In other words, picture yourself months or years down the road and on the other side of this challenge.
What would your future self tell you about the best way to navigate through this challenge?
Ask and write down answers to the following: What steps did I take, who did I connect with, what mindset helped me get through it, what routines did I adopt, what information did I learn that made it easier for me to navigate?
After answering these questions, write down two actions you can take right now that will help you approach this challenge with intention.
Approaching challenges using the advice of your “future self” helps you call in a level of wisdom that is inside of you already, but that may be hidden behind fear and self-doubt.
We know more about what we need than we think.
Go have a great workday.