5 Steps to Practice Future Self Journaling

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When I first heard about “future self journaling,” I believed it was simply one other feel-good hack. You know the type, proper? Where some influencer or blogger guarantees you can and can have the life you need, supplied you merely write to your future self.

While I used to be skeptical initially, I believed “why not?” and commenced journaling to my future self. I rapidly realized that if I put within the work, I may construct the long run I envisioned for myself. And I’m right here to inform you: I’ve seen the shift. Visualizing my future self and all of the issues I would like for me has helped me plan what I want to do to get myself there.  

So how does it work?  Lucky for you, I’m considerably of the knowledgeable now and have come up 5 steps you want to put future self journaling to give you the results you want.  

What Is Future Self Journaling? 

In easy phrases, future self journaling is the observe of linking the current you to your future you by visualizing and manifesting the “you” you need to be. By journaling about your emotions, feelings, ideas, and goals… you get in contact along with your interior self, study your current actions, behaviors, and patterns that forestall the long run you from turning into a actuality.

From there, you can also make no matter modifications obligatory so as to make your targets and goals come to fruition. The energy of self-awareness, self-healing and self-growth (aka private growth) can flip obstacles into stepping stones, making it attainable to put together for the long run and give attention to a manner ahead.       

The thought of journaling to your future self requires that you just present up for your self every single day and change into aware of how and why you react to the stimuli in your surroundings. This is the one manner to perceive your self higher. This enables you to see why your future self appears up to now out of attain and unattainable. 

Put your future self in your current self’s footwear, and ask how they’d deal with what you’re going via and feeling. Focus on figuring out what conduct wants to change. Change the way you behave so there’s solely area in your life for what makes your soul glad. This makes it simpler to obtain your future self’s targets and goals.   

Other Types of Journaling 

Besides journaling to your future self, there are varied different kinds of journaling too (and typically, these overlap relying in your journaling objective): 

There are different forms of journaling too… from being pregnant, meals, journey, nature, and future objective journaling to venture, Bible and/or prayer, scrapbooking, thoughts mapping, dream, artwork, self-care, and meditation journaling. 

Benefits of Journaling to Your Future Self

There are tangible advantages once you journal to and about your future self. And the very best half is no one has to learn it however you, so that you’re not inclined to maintain again.  Here are among the key advantages: 

Future journaling is a good way to achieve foresight and put together for the street forward, whereas different forms of journaling give attention to the current and/or previous. 

While a facet of future journaling additionally appears to be like again, it’s only so you possibly can perceive the place you’re coming from and what’s holding you again. Once you perceive, you possibly can establish what wants to change for you to change into the very best “future you” that you would be able to be and plan how you’ll get there.  

5 Steps to Getting Started With Future Self Journaling 

It could appear fairly easy to journal to your future self. After all, upon getting your app or pen and paper prepared, you simply write, proper? Well, that’s till the clean area and a clean or overly full thoughts journeys you up. 

Here’s how to get began:   

Step #1. Create a Schedule and Habit  

Most individuals who begin journaling achieve this for the primary few days, after which a skipped day turns into three, after which there’s no extra journaling. But you need to reap the rewards and work towards your future self.

So arrange a schedule for journaling. It doesn’t have to be every single day, so discover what works for you. And then journal constantly on these days for 3 months so you possibly can kind a brand new wholesome behavior.   

Step #2. Visualize the Future, Reflect on the Now 

Imagine what your future self appears to be like like. Think about all the pieces till the best element. See it. Smell it. Taste it. Touch it. Hear it. 

Then mirror in your present self. What’s holding you again? Before you are feeling overwhelmed, solely discover one conduct you need to goal and alter. 

Start with one factor at a time, as a result of gradual and regular will provide help to obtain your future targets.  

Step #3. Find a Journaling App to Keep You on Track 

In at the moment’s digital world, you could discover it simpler to journal in your sensible system as you journey the bus, once you wait in line on the financial institution, or each time you will have a second to jot down your ideas and emotions and plan your street to turning into the long run you that you really want to be. 

Here are 3 journaling apps for you: 

1. Reflectly (App Store/Google Play): encourages every day journaling to provide help to develop gratitude, lower stress, and get perspective. 
2. Grid Diary (App Store/Google Play): can journal with prompts, and use varied templates to observe gratitude, hold monitor of your targets, plan your day, week, or month, and extra.  
3. Zinnia Journal & Planner (App Store): the final word customizable possibility the place you possibly can specific your self by writing, use washi tape, stickers, and ornamental objects to fill the pages, and select a template to unleash your creativity.

Step #4. Use Printable Templates to Inspire Your Future Self Journey 

Sometimes I’m uncertain what I would like to write about in my journal, and I don’t even know the place to start. 

Printable journal templates to the rescue! 

These templates assist encourage me once I stare at a clean web page and the phrases simply aren’t there. 

Here are 5 of my favourite future self journaling templates to get you began: 

1. My Future Self by On Planners: A fundamental template, but it surely will get you excited about your future self. The visualization part helps you add element to the long run you envision. 
2. Gratitude Journal templates: Part of journaling on your future self can also be being grateful for at the moment. You additionally don’t have to visualize far into the long run, and setting targets on your tomorrow self is an efficient small step to take. 
3. Self-Awareness Happiness Assessment by Happier Mind: This template helps you discover what makes you content so you need to use this information when visualizing and planning your future self. 
4. The Best Month Ever by Happier Mind: Use this template to mirror on a cheerful month you’ve skilled and/or visualize what the very best month is for you.        
5. Plan on a Page by Happier Mind: When you realize what your future self appears to be like like and what you want to handle about your present self, you can begin setting targets, taking actions, and assembly deadlines.  

Step #5. Work from Journaling Self Prompts to Shine as Your Future Self

If you’re uncertain of what to write in your future self journal, use journaling prompts to direct your path. I typically return to these journaling prompts as a manner to see how a lot I’ve modified. 

Here is an inventory of nice prompts to get you going:

1. What does the long run you’re pursuing appear like? 
2. Are you on the trail to a future you selected, or are you on cruise management? What are you able to do to take possession once more?
3. What is the significance of gratitude in your life, and the way do you observe it? 
4. What is a perfect day like on your future self? (Be as particular as attainable.)
5. Your previous self and your future self are having tea collectively. What do they are saying?
6. How did you alter and overcome your previous? (Asking your future self.)
7. What makes you content? What makes your future self glad? 
8. What are you terrified of? Why? 
9. What habits have you ever developed, and why? How are they preserving you out of your future self?  
10. Become conscious of the labels you will have self-attached. Why did you begin utilizing these labels, are these labels nonetheless related to you, and the way are you restricted by these labels? 
11. What constructive labels are you able to connect to your present self that’s according to your future targets? 
12. Your future self is versatile. List the methods through which you will have misplaced the power to change when obligatory. How are you able to get better these? 
13. What is your present robust level? How do you see that robust level as persevering with to succeed sooner or later? 
14. What is your most adverse attribute? How can your future self change this side?
15. I’ve the prospect to be my future self at the moment when _________ (what occurs?).
16. What in my life just isn’t serving me? 
17.  What assist, kindness, and love would your future self present your present self? 
18.  What feelings do you expertise every day? List the feelings you need your future self to usually expertise. 
19.  (Answer as your future self) I’m feeling so calm and peaceable now that _________. 
20. (Answer as your future self) I’m so pleased with myself now that _________. 
21.  What is your excellent way of life in 6 months? 1 yr from now? 2 years from now? 5 years from now? 10 years from now?

Final Thoughts on Practicing Future Self Journaling 

Planning how one can actualize your excellent future and overcome what’s holding you again is liberating and oh-so rewarding. In order to be efficient, future self journaling isn’t one thing you possibly can simply do on occasion… or you’ll threat shedding momentum.

Making future self journaling an everyday routine will assist get you going… however you’ll want the opposite items to the puzzle to ensure that it to all come collectively. You have to be aware of what you journal, give attention to what you want to change that isn’t including to your life, and implement the plan to change into the “future you” you search.  

Not positive you prepared for a journaling behavior? Or afraid it’ll be like a New Year’s decision? Then try our final information to beginning a journaling behavior and sticking to it.]