Advice From My Future Self

Project yourself into the future — a week, a month, a year, a decade — and consider what advice you would give yourself today.

I believe that most individuals know what they should be doing, but just don’t do it. They let themselves down by not living up to their own commitments. It might be the decision to eat just one more cookie, when they’re on a diet; the decision to put off looking for a new job when they know that the one they have isn’t a good fit; or put off writing when they have the dream of publishing a novel… The list could go on and on.

There is lots of research that shows that there is tension between short term and long term happiness, and that we need to sacrifice in the short term in order to earn a long term reward. Also, it is clear that those who are successful have a strong long term vision, and persistently strive towards that goal. Endeavors of all types are literally willed into being with steadfast dedication. Consider the process of building a skyscraper or running a marathon. At the beginning there is nothing but the vision of the final goal.

Over the years I have seen a pattern among those who successfully navigate the path from the seeds of an idea through implementation. They consistently take steps that are large enough to be challenging, but small enough that they can be navigated with confidence. Those who don’t pace themselves properly are doomed to one of two fates: They take tiny steps that are low risk, but that don’t take them very far. Or they take huge steps that are beyond their ability, and inevitably stumble. The key is to find the step size that is right for you, with enough of a challenge to make it interesting, but not so much that you end up so bruised and broken that you aren’t able to get up and try again.

In addition, there are those who struggle to pursue their dreams, fearing that others won’t approve. I deeply believe that resistance to your ideas is a gift, in that it gives you a chance to test the strength of your own convictions. If you aren’t willing to advocate for your ideas at the beginning, you won’t be able to overcome the inevitable obstacles in the future. Also, if everyone always agrees with your ideas, you’ll never know how strongly you believe in them.

Given this, what do I already know I should be doing today that will ultimately get me to where you want to be in the future?