Remember Your Future Self - How Imagination Fuels Rocket Goals

Remember Your Future Self:
How Imagination Fuels Rocket Goals

“Anything real begins with the fiction of what could be. Imagination is therefore the most potent force in the universe. And you can get better at it. It’s the one skill in life that benefits from ignoring what everyone else knows.”
-Kevin Kelly

“Remember Your Future Self” may seem like some kind of odd click bait, but it actually has important psychological underpinnings - known as Prospective Memory. In it’s simplest terms, prospective memory is how we navigate life by planning any given day in advance, i.e. “I am going to do some work, then take a walk, then make dinner.”

At a more impactful level, prospective memory is what we use to take a medication, on time, call a friend, respond to a business request or pay the bills. This type of memory is so common that we almost take it for granted - but in terms of setting Rocket Goals - not fully harnessing prospective memory is like a basketball player not understanding the three point line. All of the various Law of Attraction and visualization tactics rely on imagining your future self using prospective memory.

Like any skill - you can greatly improve your ability to imagine a different and more desirable outcome! Here is a simple checklist for improving your ability to remember great outcomes for your future self.

1. Visualize Your Future in Detail - Create a vivid mental picture of your future self, ideal lifestyle, accomplishments, etc. Use your imagination to make it as sensory and emotionally engaging as possible.

2. Make Your Vision Feel Familiar - Mentally rehearse being your future self regularly so it feels familiar versus unknown. This primes your brain for rapid adaptation.

3. Set Milestones Along the Path - Break your vision into achievable steps that mark progress. See those milestones stacked one after the other. Crossing each milestone builds momentum towards your future.

4. Share Your Vision with Supporters - Articulate your vision to supportive people. Reinforcement makes it feel more concrete and attainable.

5. Review Your Vision Frequently - Revisiting your future self visualization keeps it top of mind. Make it a daily or weekly practice to prime your mindset with new layers of imagination!