I Dream a Highway
October 5, 2017 4:23 PM Subscribe
Do you spend time visualizing, writing about, or otherwise imagining in detail a future version of your life? Have you found any particular methods to be more skillful and helpful than others?
Lately I've been really wanting to sit down and sort of fantasize about a few possible futures for myself, and do so in detail. Part of this is for the purpose of discernment: I have some decisions coming up about whether to stay in my current town or move, what position titles and sub-domains of my career to pursue, thinking about what types of folks I might want to date, etc. But I also feel an impulse to do this as an act of kindness to myself - as a way to encourage and root for myself and remind me of my goals and values.
I'd like to just spend some time building and rearranging hypothetical futures - but I also don't want to make myself miserable and live in this fantasy land. I fear that I will grow to covet a particular circumstances, and that this is bad-- life doesn't work like that, the only constant is change, etc. Perhaps because of the life I've lived so far, one of constant change and turmoil, and also some minor executive functioning issues, I find it especially hard to do this kind of imagining. I also just don't generally know how others do this.
tl;dr: what are you best suggestions for skillful future daydreaming 101?
Thank you!
Lately I've been really wanting to sit down and sort of fantasize about a few possible futures for myself, and do so in detail. Part of this is for the purpose of discernment: I have some decisions coming up about whether to stay in my current town or move, what position titles and sub-domains of my career to pursue, thinking about what types of folks I might want to date, etc. But I also feel an impulse to do this as an act of kindness to myself - as a way to encourage and root for myself and remind me of my goals and values.
I'd like to just spend some time building and rearranging hypothetical futures - but I also don't want to make myself miserable and live in this fantasy land. I fear that I will grow to covet a particular circumstances, and that this is bad-- life doesn't work like that, the only constant is change, etc. Perhaps because of the life I've lived so far, one of constant change and turmoil, and also some minor executive functioning issues, I find it especially hard to do this kind of imagining. I also just don't generally know how others do this.
tl;dr: what are you best suggestions for skillful future daydreaming 101?
Thank you!
The Self Authoring Suite including The Future Authoring Program which claims to help(s) you envision a meaningful, healthy and productive future, three to five years down the road, and to develop a detailed, implementable plan to make that future a reality.
It costs $15 for the Future Programme.
NPR article
posted by therubettes at 4:17 AM on October 6, 2017 [1 favorite]
It costs $15 for the Future Programme.
NPR article
posted by therubettes at 4:17 AM on October 6, 2017 [1 favorite]
I do this by periodically rewriting a five year plan, with nested goals that take five years, three years, and one year for each big goal. Some of the five year goals are more concrete "build a strong tenure dossier" but others have to do with how I want to feel "keep a peaceful and happy home". I take a quiet day to brainstorm then write it all out and put it somewhere I can see.
posted by athirstforsalt at 9:40 AM on October 6, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by athirstforsalt at 9:40 AM on October 6, 2017 [1 favorite]
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Try thinking about who you want to be in the future, what kind of person, and then consider potential situations that may lead to that outcome.
posted by Thella at 5:21 PM on October 5, 2017