Working for a future you

It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and do things that have an immediate impact, but often these are the things that can hold us back in the long run. We need to learn to think about the future and work for the version of ourselves that we want to be.

In order to do this, we need to break some old habits and start thinking about the long term.

Here are some helpful things you should know about that will help you work for a future you

1. Why it's so hard to act for our future selves

Did you know that your brain perceives the future version of you the same way it perceives a stranger? There are several studies that show that our brains don't relate to the impact that our immediate actions create on our future selves.

It's easy to see why this is a problem. If we don't feel a connection to our future selves, it's much harder to make decisions that will benefit us in the long run. We'll do things that feel good now but may not be so great for our future.

Realizing this is critical because you can consciously start to overcome this mental blind spot.

How?

The next time you're making a tricky decision, visualize deeply that you are today the future version of yourself that is fully living with the impact of your choice. What does this feel like? You may start to see things differently and make better choices.

2. Focus on small steps

It can be really tiring to try and take on big steps and huge changes all at once. Often, when we try to do too much at once, we get overwhelmed and give up easily.

That's why it's important to focus on small steps. When you take small steps, you are more likely to stick with it and see it through to the end to meet your goals.

These small steps will add up over time and eventually lead to big changes. Here are ideas for small changes that create big results in the future:

• Spend five minutes writing in your journal
• Write one 800-word blog post a week
• Drink just one extra cup of water a day
• Spend one minute meditating each day
• Read one extra page in a book each day
• Listen to one podcast episode as you commute daily
• Do one series of stretches every day

James Clear talks about something similar in his book Atomic Habits. He talks about the difference between compound interest and linear growth. In short, compound interest is when you invest today and see the benefits later. Linear growth is when you invest today and see the benefits immediately.

3. Don't define your future self based on events today

Our future selves are not defined by what happens to us today. We often make the mistake of thinking that our future is set in stone based on a few unhappy events. Similarly, we also assume that we'll always be superheroes if we have a few lucky experiences.

The healthiest thing you can do is to flow with the changes and keep an open mind.

Any mistake you make today will fade away over the years and the only thing keeping it alive is remembering it and believing that it defines you.

Be open to change over the years and you'll be less likely to make decisions based on a few negative experiences from the past.

4. Practice visualization

Visualization is a powerful tool that can help you see your future self more clearly. When you visualize yourself in the future, it can be helpful to think about the life you want to have.

What does your future self look like? What are you doing? What kind of person are you?

Visualizing your future self can help you get a clearer picture of who you want to be. It can also help you start making decisions that will lead you to that future.

For example, if you can strongly imagine yourself as a leader or someone who's in a happy relationship, you'll start orienting your thoughts to making these things come true.

Soon, you'll be paying attention to online courses for leadership or entrepreneurship. Or you may just pay more attention to people around you, realizing that you like the company of some of your acquaintances a great deal. And these things were right in front of you the whole time! You just started to see them when you changed your perspective.

Conclusion

Working for a future you can be difficult, but it's so worth it. Especially since time moves forward whether you want it to or not.

As the years go by you'll be the product of the small things you did the years before. So make sure that you're doing things that will lead you to the future you want.

Visualize your future self, take small steps, and don't give up.