Giving Gifts to Your Future Self
Learn the 5 Fundamentals for Giving Meaningful Gifts to Your Future Self
One of my favorite feelings is the experience of a truly perfect gift, regardless of whether I am the giver or the recipient. Great gifts (regardless of cost) make a person feel seen, understood, and valued.
A friend of mine gave me a spectacular gift this year — a handmade book (which she made) covered in magnificent paper that anyone who knew me would know belonged to me.
And when I opened it there was a special pocket inside with quote written by her on a scrap of paper…
“I am a collection of oddities, a circus of neurons and electrons: my heart is the ringmaster, my soul is the trapeze artist, and the world is my audience. It sounds strange because it is, and it is, because I am strange.” — David Arnold
Perfection. I felt seen, valued, validated in the person I know myself to be. And I could sense that she knew it too, and I was delighted for both of us to share in that moment of knowing perfection.
As challenging as it can be to find (or make) the perfect gift, there’s one person for whom we rarely make the effort–ourselves.
I’m not talking about treats–decadent or luxurious things that feel good for a moment but lack lasting impact. Treats are nice, but they don’t move us. They don’t inspire us to be a greater version of ourselves the way great gifts do.
I believe that the only way to give a meaningful gift to oneself is to connect with what I think of as the “future self”. That is where there is the greatest potential for impact, the version of myself that can most benefit from my effort, care, and attention. Because she’s important and worthy of those things.
The gift I’m giving 2022 Hanna is a series of writing retreats — I’ve worked hard to develop a writing practice this year, and I want to continue to grow my thought leadership. I’ve blocked 3 long weekends off in my calendar so I don’t forget to make time for them, and I’ve already rented a decadent house in Sedona for the first one. I can envision myself there, writing in the presence of the red rocks, and I’m so excited to see what inspiration strikes when I experience that gift of time and space and beauty. I look forward to sharing that moment of perfection with myself as both giver and recipient.
Like all gift-giving, it takes effort to find meaningful and impactful gifts for your future self. Plus, many of us have some deep-seated beliefs around not investing in ourselves, not valuing ourselves as much as others, or feelings of unworthiness. But with a little practice, it can become a wonderfully effective way to overcome those limiting beliefs and become more and more the person you aspire to be. Here’s how to start:
Look Ahead. Where do you want to be in a year? In 5 years? What support will that version of you need to get there? If these questions are hard to answer, find a coach or mentor to help you develop a vision of where you want to be, because you can only give meaningful gifts to someone you know well.
Start Small. Gifts to your future self are an opportunity to believe in your potential. They mustn’t be an excuse to create unrealistic expectations which confirm your limiting beliefs. Set yourself up for success and help develop an unshakable faith in your abilities and you’ll be ready to tackle something bigger.
Reasonable Timeframe. Don’t sabotage yourself. Break big goals down into smaller chunks and complete one before you start on another. When you exceed your own expectations, it’ll be cause for celebration.
Incorporate Accountability. You’re far more likely to follow through on actions that you talk about, so find some folks who can help you stay accountable to your intentions. (Coaches are great at this part, too.)
Abandon Perfectionism. Even when you set realistic goals, you’re casting into the future where there are always unknowns. Sometimes you’ll have great intentions and not be able to achieve what you set out to do, and that’s ok.
What gifts will you give your future self? I’d love to hear about them, and if you share them with me I’ll even email you down the road to check in!
Hanna (at) RingmasterConsulting.com