10 things you can do TODAY that FUTURE YOU will be SO GRATEFUL FOR
In this post we’ll chat thru…
① How looking back can increase your faith for the future
② Swapping “FUTURE FAR AWAY YOU” for a more focused perspective
③ 10 things you can do TODAY that FUTURE {TOMORROW} YOU will be SO GRATEFUL FOR
Okay you know how Facebook has that like “memory” thing that pops up where you see past posts from yourself? So for me, it's one of those rare moments where you get to take a pause…to kind of look up from all that you're currently doing and look back at how far you've come from that specific memory or moment. I like to think of it like a sort of wink from God saying, “You see that?! I was faithful then. In that moment when you couldn’t see what the future held. I made a way. And even now. When you can’t see the next thing unfolding just yet? I'm faithful in this, too. So keep going, Britt. It’s all gonna work out.”
And this happened to me recently. I saw a memory pop up in my feed from 2017…so like 6 years ago. It was a picture of my planner from that year and the caption in the post was this transparent conversation I was having with my community about goals that I had set at the top of the year and how I wasn't going to actually “hit” those goals in the time frame I had set.
It wasn’t a “woe is me” post, rather, I was taking the opportunity to educate my audience on how we tend to set goals and then feel like they HAVE TO happen in a certain time period or else “abandon ship…this goal must not be for me.” When in reality…goals can be more organic than that. I probably have an unpopular opinion, but “S.M.A.R.T” goals are just not that smart. I think they box us in and cause us to give up before we ever even really get going. We often underestimate how long it takes to achieve the dreams on our heart. And for me, it’s much better to look at the process I have in place to make PROGRESS towards my goals vs solely focusing on the end outcome.
And so this post piqued my curiosity so much that I ended up digging out my old planner to give it a look. I was curious about those goals and where life had progressed since that post 6 years earlier. And side note…yes. I keep all of my old planners and journals. I think of it like a love letter from past me because when I open old planners + journals…
I get to see the effort of my past.
I get to see purpose played out.
I get to see ideas tried + pivots made.
I see inspired action + getting back up when I fall down.
I get to see GROWTH. And man does that build a CONFIDENCE in me that I’m capable of whatever stands in my way in this exact moment.
Seeing those old scribbles reminds me every time to just. keep. going. Even when the path isn't clear. Past me inspires TODAY me because I wouldn’t be her if she gave up.
Friends. THE SAME IS TRUE FOR YOU.
Give the effort. Show up to your purpose every day. Try new things. Make pivots when necessary. Take action. Get back up when you fall down. Give yourself the gift of GROWTH + PROGRESS. And just. keep. going. Even if the path isn’t super clear. Because FUTURE YOU will be so freaking grateful that TODAY YOU never gave up.
And here’s the deal. I know it can be really annoying to hear a message that says “future you will be grateful” when you’re face down in tears not seeing a way out of your current situation. For me to say “future you” when TODAY YOU feels really tired and worn out and overwhelmed, it can be easy to brush this message off and feel like it’s not for you. But it is. A few years ago I started to adopt a different mindset when it came to overall self care that I think ties into this.
Rather than swapping self care for self indulgence in the uncomfortable moments. Instead of lingering on the worry of an unknown far away future. In place of getting caught up in the worry and stress of the moment to moment. I started to consider what FUTURE ME would be grateful for in a more NARROW focus.
Not like FAR OFF FUTURE Britt…bc that can feel really overwhelming.
But like TOMORROW ME.
I began to ask a really powerful question:👇🏼
What can I do TODAY that would make FUTURE {TOMORROW} ME proud…grateful? What CAN I DO TODAY THAT would help make her day BETTER and allow her to FLOURISH?
And that eventually led to an even BOLDER question to ask…
Is what I'm doing TODAY going to make a FUTURE VERSION OF MYSELF so insanely PROUD? Or is it drifting me away from my dreams?
And the best part of these questions is that they’re not the BIG STUFF, ya’ll. They’re the SMALL THINGS that make a difference when you string them together over time.
10 things you can do TODAY that FUTURE {aka TOMORROW} YOU will be SO GRATEFUL FOR
① Set out your clothes for the morning.
② Prep your meals ahead of time.
③ Fill your water bottle up so it’s ready for the next day.
④ Go to bed at a time that allows you to get enough rest for tomorrow.
⑤ Make a meal plan for the week + get your groceries.
⑥ Decide your top 3 priorities + show up for them.
⑦ Tidy up your living spaces + clean up the kitchen before bed.
⑧ Know what workout you’ll do + when you’ll do it (think of it like an appointment with yourself that you can’t cancel).
⑨ Listen to or read something that inspires you.
①⓪ Map out your schedule for tomorrow including breaks + priorities.
You might not realize it, but your daily habits are shaping your life. Hitting the snooze button too often without a real game plan for your day can lead to a lack luster life. Putting off your workout + eating like a toddler can prevent you from feeling your best. And not having clear goals doesn’t really give you a target to aim for each day.
What you do everyday matters and influences your future in subtle but profound ways. So start to take notice of what TODAY YOU is doing. Is it in ALIGNMENT with where FUTURE YOU desires to be? Will PAST YOU be so grateful that TODAY YOU didn’t throw in the towel? Keep asking those questions. Keep checking in with yourself.
AND THEN BRAVELY ADJUST IF YOU NEED.
You have it in you today…in this moment…to chose how you're gonna show up. And I promise you that even if it's hard (spoiler…it probably will be)…when you look back on all…I promise you it will be SO WORTH IT.
Forever and always rooting for you. 🖤🤟🏼
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