I went out recently in a dress I’ve had for a while. A bit of digging through photos later, I realised that I’d bought the dress in 2008. Fifteen years ago!
Back then I was a different person and it got me wondering what I’d tell that 2008 me if I could go back in time. I know I’d cover these things:
- Smoking 20+ a day will come back and haunt you in the form of asthma – give up NOW!
- That the boss making your life a misery right now will move on
- You will not be a single cat lady with a crochet habit forever (you might just end up being a married cat and dog lady with a crochet habit)
- You will beat trichotillomania
- Redundancy won’t break you (even the second time)
- You are not fat (but you’ll never have skinny legs so please stop wasting time wishing you did)
- There are big things – good and bad – that will happen in the next 15 years. And you’ll get through 100% of them
- That dress was a good investment (even though you thought it was a bit expensive when you bought it)
- People will not call you Bridget Jones forever
- When you wear that dress in 2023 (see? told you it was a good investment), it will be your husband’s birthday and you will spend the day laughing and chatting and enjoying every moment, wondering if you are the same person who bought it fifteen years earlier.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?
How far have you come in 15 years?
And what if we could imagine ourselves forwards?
If you could fast forward fifteen years now, what would that you tell the you now, reading these words?
>>> Pause a minute, right now: In 15 years time, how old will you be? Have a think about what that you might look like, might be doing, what will be important to you. <<<
What does the present day you need to know and hear from that future you? What do they need a kick up the bum to do? What do they need reassurance about? And what do they need to believe about themselves?
We all know deep down what we need to do or change right now, and this short exercise can be really useful in reminding ourselves what we value and what we need to get out of our own way on and get on with.
Over to you now, my lovely….listen to what that future you has to say, then take action and notice how good that feels!
