4 Thoughts on Creating Your Future
What would your ideal future look like if you had the choice to design it?
And I have good news-you DO have a choice in the matter-whether you realize it or not.
But it requires you to see beyond your current circumstances and with it, your current mindset. This is because your current mindset cultivated your current circumstances. Understanding you created what you have right now is the first step to creating your future.
Let’s talk four thoughts on creating your future.
4 Thoughts on Creating Your Future
See Beyond Your Current Circumstances
You have to see beyond your current circumstances and figure out what you want out of life before you will ever achieve the results you desire.
Once you figure out what you want out of life, you have to adopt the mindset to match, and that will take making uncomfortable changes in your behavior.
Your mindset and behavior have to change first before anything else will change in your life.
Let’s say for instance you see your future self as someone who takes care of her physical health. But currently, you’re in a routine of eating takeout for dinner and sleeping through your alarm and missing workouts.
You’ll have to question if the life you’re currently living is in line with your future self. But first, you have to see beyond your current circumstances to figure out what your future self looks like.
Related:
- Imagine Big
- 6 Phrases to Eliminate from Your Life
- Using Selectivity to Transform Your Life
- 7 Healthy Mindset Practices to Adopt
Record Your Thoughts
Get a journal or even a piece of paper and write out everything you’re imagining your future to be like.
Dream as big as you want.
Think about all the areas of your life and how you would design them for your future: Finances, family, health, career, bucket list items, etc.
But don’t just write your thoughts down and never revisit them again. Get in the habit of writing your thoughts down daily. What went well today? How about areas of opportunity? Did the actions you took today line up with who you want to become in the future?
Get good at asking yourself questions and auditing your daily habits. Again, journals are perfect for this. They’re a great way to keep yourself accountable, as well.
Related:
- How to Create New Beliefs Using Your Calendar
- Journal Prompts
- How to Stay Committed to Your Goals
- 5 Things You Must Let Go of to Achieve Success
Set Tangible Goals
You have to make a plan of action if you’re going to push yourself out of your current reality and into a better future.
The best way to do this is to set S.M.A.R.T. goals.
S.M.A.R.T. stands for:
- S-Specific
- M-Measurable
- A-Achievable
- R-Relevant
- T-Time-bound
You have to set specific, measurable, tangible goals and review them daily to keep the passion for your future fueled.
Setting goals and stuffing them in a drawer somewhere to be forgotten won’t do you any good. Your mind will not be trained on them and you may as well get comfortable where you’re at in life now.
Because without reviewing your goals and taking action to see them achieved, you’re not progressing.
If you want to save for a bucket list vacation, set a goal and make a plan. Figure out when you want to take the vacation, where you want to go, and how much it will cost. Make a plan to set money aside monthly to be able to afford the vacation.
The key is to be specific and have actionable steps mapped out, so you know what steps to take in order to achieve your goal.
Your goal will not magically happen on its own. The key to writing goals down and reviewing them is to keep your focus on them until they are achieved. As you focus on your future, ideas will be birthed to help you succeed.
On that note…goals shouldn’t be unrealistic, but should make you uncomfortable. The true purpose behind a goal is not reaching the goal itself, but the growth you experience in the pursuit of it. This requires discomfort. Without discomfort, there is no change.
An example of an unrealistic goal is stating you’re going to save $100k a year on a $50k salary (unless you have a subsequent goal to get a much higher paying job, sell your possessions, or win the lottery).
On the other hand, an example of a goal that is uncomfortable yet still realistic would be to state you’re going to save $10k this year (assuming your salary is $50k in comparison to the previous example). In order to do that, you’ve figured out you’ll have to limit going out to dinner to once a week, abandon the daily Starbucks drive-thru runs, and set a budget that allows you to set aside a specific amount each month to obtain the goal by the end of the year.
Related:
- How to Set Goals and Achieve Them
- Dream Year
- How to Set Goals the Right Way
- 11 Habits that Will Improve Your Life
Live in the Future…Today
The last thought on creating your future is to start taking action daily with the behaviors and mindset in line with your future self.
It’s going to be extremely uncomfortable. If you’re not experiencing some level of discomfort, you’re not doing it right! You can’t change without experiencing discomfort-it just doesn’t work that way.
On that note, don’t wait for tomorrow, Friday, next month, Summer, or a new year to start living in line with your future self.
Make the decision to start today.
Related:
- The Best Personal Development Podcasts
- Grow You
- 10 Habits of Unsuccessful People
- 3 Morning Routines You Need to Stop Doing
Before You Go
You and only you have the power to create your future. But it’s going to require you to start showing up as your future self right now, today, and experience the discomfort required to change your life.