Yesterday I wrote about looking back to see how far you’ve come. We’ve often made more progress than we realize. Today I want to write about looking forward to see where you’re headed.
I’ve discussed this many times before. I’m really big on vision. Some previous articles:
Expand Your Vision to Expand Your Life
The Life Changing Magic of Having a Vision
How to Set Yourself Up for Success in 2018
Even though I’ve covered the subject before, I want to touch on it again. It’s important to not only to look back but also to look forward. You want to look forward for two main reasons:
One – You need to know where you’re going so that you can take the right steps. Too many people live haphazardly. They pay no mind to the future so they can’t identify what needs to be happening now so that what they want in the future can actually happen. It’s a simple concept. Dinner won’t get cooked if you don’t starting cooking it. Your future will happen. It’s coming whether you like it or not (unless it doesn’t). Knowing that to be true, you want to direct your future as much as it is in your control to do.
Look forward and decide what you’d most like to see. If you keep doing what you’re doing what will your future look like? What do you want your future to look like? Assess where you are right now to identify the size of the gap (between your present and your desired future) and how you can close that gap. Start putting measures in place now to close the gap.
Related: How to Achieve Your Goals and Dreams
That’s why I never understand why people are so against New Year’s Resolutions. It’s the perfect time to look forward, assess your present, and put strategies in place to get you closer to where you want to be. Plus, a year is a good amount of time to see good results.
The other reason you want to look forward is that it is possible that you’re traveling a road that no longer aligns with what you want or who you are. As we grow, learn more about ourselves, learn more about life in general, and different lifestyles our preferences and interests can change. For example, you may have wanted to teach but when you learn what’s involved you realize it’s not for you. You may think you want to travel the world or invest in real estate but overtime you learn that’s not really what you want. It’s what you thought you were supposed to want. Maybe you’ve been pursing a certain career or marriage because it’s been drilled into your head by well-meaning loved ones for so long you thought it was actually your dream.
[bctt tweet=”Look forward to make sure you still want what you’re working toward.” username=”charlene_dior”]
On the other hand, you may still want what you want, but the road you’re on no longer leads you there. As new technologies, platforms, and information becomes available to you you may have better options to get you to your goal. Likewise, some technologies, platforms, and information becomes obsolete. The strategies you’ve put in place may no longer works because times have changed or because you’ve changed.
Perhaps you inadvertently took a detour and ended off the desired path. Looking forward helps you map out the right steps, make the necessary course corrections, and take the right actions to get you to your desired future. Looking forward can also give you motivation and drive. It can help you get recommitted to what you say you want. It’s a reminder that what you’re doing – no matter how hard, challenging, expensive, lonely, etc. – is not for nothing.
Go Deeper: From Caterpillars to Butterflies: Transform the Life You Have into the Life You Love
Spend some time these last few weeks of the year looking forward. Some questions to get you started:
- What is your vision for the future?
- Where are you now? What does the gap look like?
- What is your plan for closing the gap? What do you need?
- What goals have you been working towards lately?
- Do you still want what you’ve been working for?
- Are the actions you’re taking still the best actions to get you to the goal?
- Are there new options that are worth exploring to help you achieve the goal?
Look back to acknowledge how far you come and to give you the second wind you need to keep going. Look forward to make sure you are still headed in the direction of your dreams. Look forward to where you want to be as a motivator to do what you know needs to be done right now. And start doing it.