People Pleasing Your Future Self

Do you ever wonder what your future self will thank you for?  What she desperately needs you to start, or keep doing so that she can be living a vibrant, healthy life?

What she will be really grateful you made the hard decision to do now?

How she will be so proud of you in the way you overcame a challenge?

Why will she look back and laugh with joy at what you did today or tomorrow?

What expectations can you drop that she will reap the reward from?

What beliefs that you hold about yourself and your ability will she benefit from you shifting?

What habits can you create now that will make her life so much easier?

The habits, routines and beliefs you have today, create the life you will live tomorrow. 

Are they taking you where you want to go?

As I celebrated my 51st birthday this week, I looked back on all the me’s of days gone by,… the me’s who overcame grief and heartache, the me’s who went on adventures, the me’s who kept striving to learn and grow, the me’s who reached out for help and hugs when I needed them. I’m so grateful for them all, because they allowed me to be who I am today as I woke up to yet another new age of me.

This time last year I threw a big party for my 50th - the last hooha before the global pandemic shut down our lives!  Like everyone, I had no idea what was coming round the corner, of the year head… which has turned out to be nothing like I planned.

But all in all, I think my 50 year old me made the best of it.  She learned a lot, she pushed herself to pivot her business into something she wouldn't have done otherwise, she cried and struggled and worked through those struggles, she adapted a lot, she accepted what was and (mostly) got on with what is, and she also grew, and loved and laughed.

Because of all that my 50 year old self learned, tried, experienced, failed, succeed, created, connected, nurtured, lost, feared, triumphed and faced, I feel my 51 year old self is ready to tackle the next year ahead, whatever that brings.  Not everything my 50 year old self did was right, not everything she did was something I’m proud of. But that's ok because I'm a work in progress and mostly I did ok, or even better than ok. Mostly - under all the challenging circumstances - I’m glad she showed up the way she did for me today.

And that's all we can do, especially at midlife... show up for ourselves, not just for our current self, but for all our future selves. 

As I dither over doing my zoom pilates class, I know my 60 and 70 year old selves will be so grateful I’m showing up to do it, to keep my bones strong and my body flexible. 

As I keep making the effort to connect with pals I haven’t seen in person since my party. I know my 55 and 60 and 75 year old selves will be thanking me for keeping my tribe alive now so I have them then.

As I make myself eat a handful of spinach every day, I know my future selves will be thriving better as a result. 

Midlife can be mayhem, full of change and challenges, choices and chances.  It's so important to take a moment to ask yourself how your future selves need you to show up today.

- Pushing yourself to keep your comfort zone large and expanding, nourishing yourself to keep your body and mind in great shape.

- Supporting yourself with whatever you need to build, grow and develop who you are and can be.

- Exploring yourself with curiosity and self-awareness so that your life is lived by your design, not on default. 

- People pleasing your current and future selves, making you and them your priority.

I make a promise to my future selves to keep showing up.  For example, to celebrate International Women’s Day on Monday 8th March, I’ll be stepping out of my comfort zone by doing my first Instagram Live webinar (knowing my 52, 53, and 54 business selves will be so grateful I took the plunge because I’ve resisted constantly until now!). I’m slightly terrified, but I’m going to try and do it anyway, because I know enough to know from all my previous me’s that the prospect of fear is often far worse than the reality of just pushing through it.

That's all I can do. Show up today for today's self, and tomorrows. 

What about you?