Envisioning the Future
What kind of story are you stuck in? The kind you want to read about? A real page-turner (in a good way)? Or is it a little bit boring and predictable? Is the protagonist (you) living up to their full potential? Or are they living someone else’s life by getting caught up in video games and TV shows?
It takes some work and planning to realize your genius and write the story you want to live. A genius paradigm is easy to talk about but not always easy to implement.
It’s worth it, though.
If you ask someone who is an “overnight” success how they did it, it wasn’t overnight. They planned and worked for years to obtain the level of success they reached. In Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Outliers” he shares the Beatles’ story and how they spent years playing at strip clubs in Germany before they made it big.
It took a bit of planning and resolution to get things done. They had to have a vision for the future and work towards it.
I’ve been looking at ways to keep the vision I’m working for front and center in my daily life. Sometimes the trudge of working through the daily to-do list makes it hard to be inspired to keep going.
One thing I’m finding that helps is journaling. Words help me see things better. Maybe that is why I love quotes so much. Dr. Benjamin Hardy has some great YouTube videos on journaling that have helped me. He encourages you to journal about your “future self” and what your life will be like. Writing about your “future self” like it is someone else gives you someone to look to in order to model.
Matthew McConaughey gave a great speech about being his own hero that illustrates this.
Don’t like writing? How about drawing? You don’t have to be good at drawing to use this technique. Patti Doblowski (sp) has a TEDx talk about this. Here is a condensed version.
Or maybe you do better speaking. Start a vlog or podcast. You can be the only one listening to it but take the time to see your future and envision what it will look like.
But that is just the first step.
The Beatles could see themselves making it big, but nothing would have happened if they hadn’t taken action.
Each day, whether you are journaling, drawing, or recording, figure out one thing or more to take action on that will get you closer to realizing your vision for your future. Even small steps forward feel good.
What can you do today to realize your genius?