Giving Gifts to Your Future Self
With the holidays fast approaching, you’ve probably started thinking about what gifts you want to get for the people you love. But I’ll wager there’s someone important you’ve left off your list… your future self.
Have you ever given your “future self” a gift? I don’t mean a time capsule, or even a goal. I mean an action you take in the present specifically to set yourself up for success in the future. Here are a few examples from my own experience…
It is incredibly easy for me to overbook myself. I love my work and my clients, so when they ask for a meeting, my instinct is to squeeze in every appointment I possibly can. The problem with this approach is that I wind up booked in meetings all day long for days at a time, which leaves me no time to do work. This summer I ran myself into the ground before a vacation (sound familiar?) and wound up sick for most of my vacation and overwhelmed by the pile of work waiting for me when I got home. So as I was struggling to get through everything, I took a moment to give my future self the gift of more time by going in my calendar and blocking off “work hours” a couple days a week. Do I sometimes ignore those blocks? Of course. But they’re repeating events, and I have to actively choose to book over them. It means that most weeks I don’t wind up overbooked and overwhelmed!
Writing about leadership and developing new trainings are important to me and my business, but it is the kind of work that’s very hard to squeeze into my normal workflow. A couple years ago I gave my then-future self the gift of 3 writing retreats where I could dedicate myself completely to one topic. The result was material for several workshops and articles that I am incredibly proud of. But I got so excited about doing the work that I forgot to schedule more writing retreats, and this year I haven’t had any major growth! So I’m committing right now to blocking off time for 3 more writing retreats in 2024, and telling all of you will ensure I make it happen. :-)
So, before you start shopping for other people, carve out a little time to think about what you will need to thrive and be successful in 2024. What actions can you take right now that will create the space and/or accountability to take care of the most important person in your life?
Here are some guidelines to help you give meaningful, impactful gifts to your future self:
Look Ahead. Where do you want to be in a year? In 5 years? What support will that version of you need to be successful? If these questions are hard to answer, find a coach or mentor to help you develop a vision of who 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 so 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!