you’re not stuck. show your brain the future you’re creating.
While it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that our future is predetermined by our past experiences, the truth is that we have the power to shape our own destiny. As Dr. Joe Dispenza suggests, "The best way to predict your future is to create it."
But how?
In this article, we'll explore how you can imagine a better future for yourself by following a four-step process:
Allowing yourself to dream
Focusing on one area of your life
Committing to your plan
Programming your vision into your daily habits
I. Flow: Allow Yourself to Dream
The first step to imagining a better future for yourself is to allow yourself to dream. Free your imagination and let your mind wander to the life you really want. Write about it in as much detail as possible. Don't limit yourself by what you believe is possible or what you think you "should" want. This is your opportunity to create a vision that truly resonates with your deepest desires.
This exercise is called “future visioning”.
Imagine the life you really want and include all the exciting possibilities that come with it. Think about your career and what kind of work you would be doing if you had no limitations. Would you be an artist, a writer, a CEO, or a philanthropist? Consider your financial goals and imagine having enough money to travel, buy your dream home, or support causes that matter to you.
Don't forget to envision the relationships in your life. What kind of partner(s) do you want, and what kind of love and connection do you desire? Imagine your closest friends and the adventures you'll have together. Consider your social connections and what kind of impact you want to have on your community and the world at large.
As you create your future vision, allow your imagination to flow freely. Don't worry about judgment or doubts –this is the time to dream big. Include everything that excites you, even if it feels scary or impossible. Perhaps you dream of winning a Pulitzer Prize or climbing Mount Everest. Whatever it is, let your mind wander and have fun with it.
Remember that this exercise is about imagining a joyful, healthy, and fulfilling life. Embrace the big delights and the small pleasures. Let your imagination run wild and see where it takes you. By giving yourself permission to dream, you are taking the first step toward creating a better future for yourself.
II. Focus: Focus on One Area of Your Life
Once you have a clear vision of the life you want to create, it's important to focus on one area of your life that you'd really love to see change first. It could be your career, your relationships, your health, or any other area that is important to you. By focusing on one area, you'll be able to give it your full attention and make meaningful progress toward your goals.
Here are six common life themes that people often yearn to improve upon. Which one do you want to work on first? By no means is this an exhaustive list and if another theme comes to mind, go with it!
Relationships
Career & Financial
Health
Intellectual & Creativity
Social & Connection
Purpose & Beliefs
If you are concerned about picking just one area to focus on, release this tension because there’s a little-known secret you should be aware of––when you focus on growing in one area of your life, many other areas of your life tend to improve as well. Everything is connected.
Once you have chosen the area of focus, select one specific goal that you want to achieve within that theme. For example, if you have chosen health as your focus, your goal might be to lose 5-10 pounds, begin weekly walks, or heal a chronic illness or ailment. If you have chosen relationships, your goal might be strengthening the connection between you and your current partner, cultivating a new, loving relationship, or leaving a relationship that is no longer in alignment.
By focusing on one life theme with one specific goal, you can avoid feeling overwhelmed and start taking action toward creating the future you want. And as mentioned, this progress toward your goal creates a ripple effect of positive change in your life holistically.
III. Commit: Be Open and Flexible with the Plan, Be Relentless with the Commitment
Creating a better future for yourself requires commitment. Be open and flexible with your plan, but be relentless with your commitment to achieving your goals. This means taking consistent action, even when it feels challenging or uncomfortable. It also means being willing to adjust your plan as needed, based on feedback and new information.
Here's how to commit:
Write a S.M.A.R.T. commitment statement: Make it specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. It should clearly state what you're committing to and when you'll achieve it. Be honest and realistic with yourself while setting this commitment.
Example: I commit to spending 2 hours every day working towards building my own business for the next 6 months, so that I can quit my 9-5 job and work for myself full-time. I will track my progress weekly and seek support from my business coach when I face challenges.Create a plan: Break down your commitment into actionable steps. Identify the resources and support you'll need to achieve your goal. Make a plan for how you'll tackle any obstacles that come your way.
Hold yourself accountable: Share your commitment with someone you trust, like a friend, mentor, or online community. If you want to crank up the accountability and are in a financial position to do so, you can also consider hiring a coach that specializes in the area of life you’re working to improve.
Take action: Start taking small steps toward your commitment every day. This is so important! All the small daily action items add up to the big goal. Allow yourself to take imperfect action. And don’t bite off more than you can chew on a daily basis, otherwise, you’ll head straight for burnout. We don’t want that. Small, sustainable action items every day. Celebrate your progress along the way!
IV. Program: Bringing Your Future Vision to Life Requires a New Daily Habit of Reprogramming It
Bringing your future vision to life may require a new set of beliefs, thoughts, and actions to align with your goals. How do you embrace new beliefs, thoughts, and actions? While it doesn’t happen overnight, it is very possible through a concept called neuroplasticity.
In order for our brains to interpret the massive volume and variety of stimuli from our external worlds, it relies on subconscious programs to automate over 90% of our behavior. Meaning at any given time, what we believe, think, and do has been hard-wired into our brains for quite some time with different “programs” / “templates” / “imprints” we’ve been exposed to growing up.
While it may sound odd, it’s actually quite efficient and clever for our brains to do this. Relying on these “programs” or “templates” frees up space to process new experiences instead of spending all our brain power trying to remember how to tie our shoes or cook our favorite meals.
Issues only arise when some of our “programs” or “templates” contradict a new, desired outcome we are trying to achieve. When that happens, it’s time to take matters into our own hands and design a “program” or “template” of the beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors that will help yield the outcome we're seeking.
Once we craft this new design, it’s time to start reprogramming and hard-wiring it into the architecture of our brains. Engaging in the process of neuroplasticity requires energy, time, and repetition. Think of it like mental fitness or going to the gym for your brain.
There are many tools that help you reprogram your brain such as self-hypnosis, journaling, visualization, affirmations, or even creating a vision board. The key is to choose a tool that resonates with you and is easy to incorporate into your daily routine.
This process takes time. Be patient with yourself. If you fall out of routine for a day, a week, or even a month; just pick up where you left off and keep going.
By committing to this daily habit of reprogramming your brain, you will be taking the necessary steps to bring your future vision to life. Remember, you have the power to reprogram and reorganize your brain, and with time and repetition, you can change the way you think, feel, and act. You can change your entire life.
As Glinda the Good Witch once said, “You’ve always had the power, my dear. You just had to learn it for yourself.”