Do you have an image of what you want your life to be like 5 years from now? If you don’t, it’s worth taking the time to think about.
Think back to where you were 5 years ago. What advice would you give yourself?
Everything you’ve done so far —every decision, every action—has created the life you have now. It’s created the person you’ve become.
Looking back, would you tell yourself to stop doing something? Start doing something? While there’s nothing you can do to change the past, you can move forward with intention to create the life you want.
Maybe you have a vision of yourself in 5 years being healthy, active and with a successful business that you run from your home. You imagine yourself on vacation on the beach feeling great in a bathing suit. You imagine yourself sightseeing in Europe, walking around for hours without needing to stop for frequent breaks. You imagine having a business you love with customers who love what you offer.
Use the vision you have of your future self to guide the decisions you make now. What do you need to do over the next 5 years to create that reality? What do you need to start doing? What do you need to stop doing? As opportunities come up, ask yourself if they will help you move towards the future you want before you say yes to them. There are lots of good opportunities out there, but not all of them will lead you in the direction you want to be going.
Use the vision you have of your future to help you stay motivated to achieve your goals. Achieving goals isn’t easy. It takes commitment and consistency. You will definitely want to do other things when it’s time to put in the work to get what you want. When that happens—when you don’t feel like exercising or making cold calls or saying no to going out to happy hour with friends in order to work on your business plan—imagine that future you. Remind yourself what you’re going to get because of the discipline you are showing now. Imagine what that future you would tell you to do.
You can choose to create the life of your dreams rather than carelessly creating a life that underwhelms you. Envision that dream life, envision your future self in it, and go get it!