Envisioning Your Future, Pt. III – Future Self Visualization
As I mentioned in the last article, an important component of reinvention is clarity, that is, holding a clear vision of who you’re becoming and where you’d like to go. I’ve found that the most effective way to gain this clarity is by defining, exploring and working toward your future self, a powerful tool for envisioning the version of yourself you’re striving to become.
This is the third installment of a four-part series to help you envision your future. The last article included the importance of connecting with your inner wisdom, the place in your heart that holds your deepest desires. I also provided an exercise to help you practice what a true “yes” feels like for you – a useful tool for your inner journey.
In this article, I’ll share a visualization that I adapted from an exercise developed by the Coaches Training Institute. I, along with my coaching clients and students, have found it to be very insightful and the experience invaluable in transcending limiting beliefs and familiar boundaries.
Before I share the visualization, let’s spend a moment on why it’s such a valuable exercise. Getting to know your future self can help you gain insight into different aspects of your life – these five areas come to mind:
Your dreams. What kind of life you want to live; What you truly want to experience in your life; What motivates and inspires you.
Your contributions. What impact you can have through your career, relationships, community, and your own personal growth, including health and wellness, spirituality, creativity and your life journey.
Your values. What kind of person you’re striving to become; What gives you purpose and meaning; What’s important to you.
Your potential. What you’re capable of; How to leverage your strengths while working on what’s holding you back; Identifying blind spots; Gaining clarity on what’s possible for you.
Your legacy. What you want to leave behind; How you want to positively impact the world; How you want to be remembered.
It’s important to note that we’re not looking to predict the future. The purpose of this exercise is to gain insight into these areas and then create an action plan to live the life you’re envisioning.
And now the visualization. I suggest setting aside at least 20 minutes where you won’t be disturbed and having a notebook handy to reflect on the experience once you’re done.
I recommend reading the following script into your phone and then playing it back. Be sure to leave plenty of space between bullet points as you speak:
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Relax your body and mind.
Imagine yourself being transported upward – past your home, town, country, into the darkness of outer space, where you can see the earth’s curve, hear the silence, and feel the cool air around you.
Notice a beam of light and follow it back down to earth. Like a time travel machine, this beam is taking you 20 years into the future.
Take a look around you and notice the dwelling that’s in front of you. It belongs to your Future Self.
Note the following:
Where are you? What’s the landscape like? What does the house look like
Knock on the door. What does your Future Self look like? How does she greet you? What is she wearing? How does her essence feel? What feeling is she exuding?
Where does she take you to have a conversation? How does the interior of her home feel?
What does she offer you to eat and drink?
Ask her: What stands out the most from these last 20 years? What dreams have you realized?
Ask her: How do I get from where I am to where you are? What advice do you have for me?
Ask her any other questions you’d like.
Notice that she has a gift for you. It could be an object, word, image, metaphor or symbol.
Thank your Future Self for her gift, time and wisdom.
As you leave her home, know you can return any time.
Travel back up the light beam into outer space. When you step off, gently float back to your present time and space, feeling grounded, alert and refreshed.
Once you’ve recorded and listened to the visualization, I invite you to spend a few minutes writing about your experience in your notebook, focusing on your senses and noting any helpful information you learned from your Future Self. As you think of this vision of your Future Self, what thoughts, emotions and potential next steps surface for you?
Now that you’re done with the visualization and you’ve jotted down some notes, I’d like to share what you may experience as you continue to work with this practice. It can be any or all of the following:
You may have an a-ha moment – an insight, discovery or inspiration;
You may catch a glimpse of something that previously seemed out of the range of possibility;
You may gain clarity on something that once felt abstract;
You may be less likely to procrastinate on actions that will move you closer to your vision;
You may see how your current actions are impacting your long-term desires, positively or negatively;
You may make habit changes to better align with your Future Self;
You may feel a sense of urgency to get started on a project or way of being that you’ve been putting off;
You may become more resilient as you identify obstacles in your path and find ways to overcome those challenges;
You may gain perspective on your current life that will help you identify steps toward your envisioned life;
You may enjoy experimenting with different Future Self personas to refine your vision;
You may establish a daily or weekly check-in to keep yourself accountable to staying on track and making adjustments as you make progress;
You may live each day feeling more present, utilizing your Future Self as your north star to guide you as you journey toward the life you truly desire.
The wonderful thing about this exercise is once you have a clear picture of your Future Self, the imagery of seeing yourself already living as you desire stays with you and influences your current life to close the gap between where you are now to what you’ve seen in your mind’s eye.
It’s because of that clarity that it becomes easier to stay motivated to live a more fulfilling life, which leads to making better daily decisions in alignment with where you want to go.
Journal Reflections: What did you learn about your Future Self that was surprising? Is your Future Self an extension or a reinvention of who you are today? What are some initial thoughts to close the gap between where she is and where you are today?
Note: If you prefer, you can listen to this article here: Episode 226