We often think of advice as passing on wisdom from elder to youth, teacher to student, parent to child. The veteran guides the novice, the process didactic in nature. Therefor what if the coin flips, and we, as our present-day selves, offer advice to an older, more mature version of ourselves? Think of it as an exercise in self-love, a means of preserving and protecting what’s important today well into the future.
For this example we are I am going to ask you to play along with this exercise even if it might take you out of your comfort zone a little. It’s called “What advice would your future self give to you.” I promise you it’s worth it.
Meet your future self
Imagine your future self. This version of you is super successful. She is everything you wish you were and more. Plus she looks how you want to look and spends her days doing what you wish you were doing. She’s always smiling, always confident, people flock to her and her shoes are amazing.
She’s the woman you wish you were embodying. The level you wish you were playing at. Firstly, looking at this might be triggering because on some level, you are aware that you’re keeping yourself from having it. After all, if you can picture clearly what that version of you is doing, how she is living, then the potential exists within you to make that vision real.
Now imagine you get to sit down with her for a cup of tea or glass of bubbly and you can ask her how she does it and how she could help you get there.
What would you ask her?
Here are some questions to get you started.
- What does her daily routine look like?
- Can she tell you what she did to get there?
- Which life-advice does she have for you?
- How can she help you get there?
It’s time to start embodying the version of yourself who gets it.
Example of advice from my your future self
Dear Future Self,
Thanks for taking the time to connect with me and letting me share my wisdom with you. Whatever you’re doing right now, stop. Go outside. Call your parents. Take a moment and go have yourself a proper personal day. And don’t, don’t you dare feel guilty for taking the time for yourself.
This year has been a crazy one. You learned what love really means, the lengths to which friendship can be tested (and lost), and have become a yoga teacher. You’ve moved to Bali. You’ve got a dog. Know whatever decision you made, it was the right one. You’re here now, and you’re exactly where you need to be.
A couple things to remember: You learned how to honor and treat your body well this year, and how to honour and treat those around you. Don’t ever settle for the easy way just don’t accept anything less. Life is too short. Remember that this current version of yourself loves you… nd that’s not going to change.
As a conclusion of this exercise write yourself a short letter like the one above where you receive advice from your future self. Then as a next step ask a good friend to send you this letter in 12 months time, When you receive the letter use the moment to reflect on what you did with this advice in the last 12 months. Holding yourself accountable is an important step in the process.
