Our future selves have traveled our paths longer. They are ripened with wisdom, yet still know us intimately.

Accessing your aspirational future self can help you embody them more now.

The qualities you admire in your future self already exist within you.

“He reports to me! Why am I so intimidated by him?” lamented Batya in our session. She was describing a recent interaction with her marketing lead. Batya, though CEO, was only in her 30s. In meetings with this employee, who happened to be much older than her, Batya would clam up, unable to assert herself.

Batya grew up with an authoritarian father, whose angry outbursts would frequently frighten her. This background made it even harder for her to confront her anxieties at work. Later, we’d delve more deeply into her childhood trauma, working to resolve those issues. But, in that moment, I knew she needed to find some confidence—a way to feel stronger and wiser beyond her years.

Cultivating a Relationship With Your Future Self

At any age, we could all use a little wisdom. That’s why, in our session, I invited Batya to do a quick visualization exercise. I asked her to call to mind someone she thought of as strong, courageous, and kind. It could have been someone she knew personally, a historical figure, or a fictional character. Batya’s brow furrowed as she told me no one came to mind. So, I suggested one of my favorite options: that she imagine her own future........

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