21 Jan 30 things to do so your future self will thank you!
Real and meaningful happiness often means thinking ahead, in a positive way, and putting long term benefits ahead of easy, short term options.
This is, in part, what differentiates genuine happiness from hedonism or selfishness.
Which is why I really like this article from LifeHack in which 30 tips are provided for those who want their future self to be grateful…
by Chris Ellis
Once upon a time, we were our past selves. We went along either with future intentions in mind or simply drifting with the tide. Did we ever think that we would have ended up where we are?
Few people I know knew they would be exactly where they are today. So how can we plan for our futures when they are so uncertain?
The answer is not to look at what we want or where we want to be in the future but rather, who we want to be.
After all, in life, the only person we can depend on for certain is ourselves. As much as we want to be able to rely on someone else wholeheartedly, sometimes they leave or change or even pass away.
Who you are in the future depends on what you do today. Here are 30 vital things you can do today that your future self will thank you for. Take this checklist and do each step thoroughly. Your life will line up like magic.
Get out paper and a pencil and lets change your life!
1. Agree to invest in yourself!
We spend so much time investing in relationships and this is a good thing. But we cannot forget that investment in ourselves is as important. Take some time now.
Going through this checklist step-by-step and doing each step thoroughly will set you up to move forward in life with focused energy.
2. Decide who you are.
I am not talking about taking on an identity such as one outlined by a career. Too many times we allow ourselves to be defined by our careers. This can be so much the case that when someone needs to change careers or retire, they lose their sense of self. This can be extremely destabilizing.
Knowing who the real you is gives you stability in life. If you are a good, honest, strong and ethical person, decide that right now. We are who we decide we are and are nothing else.
3. Be who you really are every day.
Now that you have decided who you are, simply make the decision that you will strive to be that person every day. Be the best of that person you can be. Understand that there are times that we all fall short of our ideals but a person who keeps at it is one who eventually succeeds.
If we fall short, understand that this is an area where more learning has to take place.
4. Decide what your values are and live them every day.
A person who has a strong set of beliefs and values is a happy and strong person. A person who does not have a clearly defined set of beliefs and values is tossed about in life like a tiny ship on an angry ocean. There is nothing certain to a person like this except the fact that he will be at the mercy of others.
Most of our values are similar. Things like keeping yourself strong and healthy, keeping your family well and protected, helping mankind and all living things, and caring for our environment are good areas to look at to see what your values are with regard to them.
Write down some of your values in these areas. Stick to them.
5. Decide what you want to be.
Here is where you get to start choosing identities.
So many of us have become dissatisfied with our careers over time and yet we feel we have to continue in that line of work. We have put so much time into it haven’t we? It would be crazy to start over again. Well, would it? Isn’t it more crazy to go on day after day completely dissatisfied? So what if your career didn’t work out the way you wanted it to?
Make a change. Decide what you want to be and get started. There is nothing as exciting as changing your career into exactly what you want it to be. There may be years of transition ahead but get started right now and never give up.
Write down what you want to be…
…keep reading the full and original article HERE