Why You Should Learn Your “Present” Before Planning Your “Future”

Can one predict their future? Not really. There are ways, however, to help your life steer in the direction you wish. One of the huge benefits, is that you can start today – in fact, right now. The best way to begin, is to research where you currently are (see the graph below).

Now I want you to put an imaginary line on the graph – one that will most accurately show where you stand in it. This should be seen as a progress bar. In order to end up in the purple area, you need to know how close you are to it. A common problem nowadays is that most people happen to know their friends better than they know their own selves. That is also one of the main reasons this article exists. Let’s get started now!

The first exercise that’ll help you, is to make a “priorities list” for the things you love doing. We are looking for things that you can progress in – like playing an instrument for example. I understand drinking beer might be your favorite thing to do, but you can’t get better than other beer lovers. We need things that you’ll constantly improve at. If you find yourself unable to think of anything appropriate to write down, do yourself a favor, and expand on your skill sets. Live by the “Try Everything Once” principle to experience your life to it’s fullest. Wanna learn how to cook? Join a class! Feeling like dancing? Move your body to the nearest club and start shaking it!

Next thing you’ll want to know about yourself, is your insecurities and fears. Yes, I know most people hate doing that, but it’s just as vital for your success as knowing your hobbies. Let’s try observing it from another perspective : your best version is confident. Confident people also have fears and insecurities, but they’re not afraid to admit it. In that sense, understanding what makes you feel uncomfortable is a huge step towards success.

“To overcome your fears, you must first get to know them.”

Body language and social skills are also worth mentioning. Grab a book and read more about those, so you’ll know exactly where you stand. A great way to improve your communication skills, is to constantly keep meeting new people. This will expand your knowledge and you’ll also be able to observe different behavior patterns. Having a good body posture is a must if you want to emit confidence, and using it in your advantage will always benefit you. Get to know how close your current skill set is to that of a confident person, and improve on that.

Habits also have a heavy impact on who you are, and who you’ll become. Learn what’s driving you to light up that morning cigarette, or to have a work out routine. Understand the idea behind every habit you have, and choose which ones to get rid of. Think of it this way : if you could stop smoking, and start spending money only on important things, you’ll have reduced the chances of getting a lung cancer and will have saved enough money to start your own business one day.

Planning your future is a great thing, but plans should be easy to follow, so aiming for something really far ahead won’t benefit you – you’ll find the lack of immediate results frustrating instead. After realizing who you are, you’ll be able to find purpose in your life. At this point, choosing who you want to become will be a piece of a cake.

I’m Todor Kostov from Dive In Success. A blog, in which we express our thoughts on different life-changing topics.

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