Your Past, Present, and Future Selves: A Conversation
I invite you to have a conversation that may very well be one of those conversations—the ones that change everything once you have them. Print this page and keep it with you as a cue—to dedicate time for a conversation between your past, present, and future selves.
In the next ten days, write down these six prompts, each on a different page of paper, then respond to each prompt by filling as much of the page as you can—if you spill over to more than one page, awesome, go for it!
Reflecting on my last month, what comes to mind that I can celebrate, acknowledge, and honor?
Reflecting on my last three months, what can I celebrate, acknowledge, and honor?
Reflecting on my last year, what can I celebrate, acknowledge, and honor?
Reflecting on my last five years, what can I celebrate, acknowledge, and honor?
Reflecting on my last ten years, what can I celebrate, acknowledge, and honor?
From the perspective of “me” ten years from now (or as long as feels caring in relationship to where you are now on your life’s journey)—what am I celebrating, acknowledging, and honoring from the time since this moment?
I would love to hear about your experience from doing this! I’ll share more ‘under-the-hood’ elements about this exercise next week.
References, and resources for further exploration:
Podcasts:
Hidden Brain—You 2.0: Your Future is Now
the Drive—Time, Productivity, and Purpose: Insights from 4,000 Weeks
Books:
Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything, Even Things that Seem Impossible Today by Jane McGonigal
Be Your Future Self Now: the Science of Intentional Transformation by Benjamin Hardy
Outlive: the Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia
4,000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert
This post is part of a weekly series exploring how we care well for ourselves on behalf of our purpose and service to others and the world.