James Clear later wrote that “If you genuinely care about the goal, you’ll focus on the system.” Behavior becomes more intelligent as it is intentionally designed for ends. If nothing matters anyway and you have no hope of improving your circumstances, why do anything? Why put forth any effort whatsoever? Without hope in the possibility of creating a better future, you will lose any motivation to take action now. If nothing matters in the future, why would you think anything matters now? Psychologists call this unique human ability prospection; as people, everything we do is driven by our prospects of the future. Prospection is based on a teleological view of the world, which views all human action and behaviour as driven by goals-whether short term or long term. As the Proverb states, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”This perishing is an internal disintegration where personality and physical health abruptly reduce to nothing. Your past is fundamentally a meaning. The story you create about past events dictates what your past means to your present and to your Future Self.

Everyone has a plan until life punches them in the face. Whatever punches life gives to you, your past is just a story. Whatever story you choose for your past enormously impacts your present and your future. It takes courage to get into the game because once in the arena, you will fail. You’ll immediately get hit in the face with the consequences of your actions and your ignorance. And although painful in the moment, this is exactly how you learn and adapt. In this frenetic nightmare, you feel there is no control or escape from a downward spiral. Without hope, motivation is impossible. You can’t be motivated toward action or outcome with zero hope in its possibility. Connecting with your future self is an investment that compounds dramatically. The more you are connected with your future self, the better quality decisions you will make in the present. You will find yourself gaining momentum towards a desired future state. Your very identity will transform.Once you’ve clarified and simplified your Future Self, free yourself of decision fatigue, distractions, and all lesser goals. Allow your time and attention to focus on the absolute best and most relevant uses of your time, your three priorities. Research now shows that a person’s past does not drive or dictate their actions and behaviors. Rather, we are pulled forward by our future.” You’ll stop associating pain with the work and changes required for your goals. Instead, you’ll associate pain with not making progress toward your dreams. You’ll associate pain with the short-term dopamine hits that were once your escape. You’ll be far more courageous BE YOUR FUTURE SELF NOW Every person has the inherent capacity to become like God. This life is a small step in our evolution. Infinity extends behind us and infinity stretches before us. A person’s trajectory is far more powerful and real than their current self. Much of the history of psychology has been dominated by a framework in which people and animals are driven by the past.” But what if humans are not driven by the past? What if we’re pulled forward by the future that we are the most committed to?

Elevate from needing to wanting to knowing. Knowing is a state in which you know that you already have what you desire. You are in a state of gratitude. You embody the identity of the future you, and the fulfillment of the vision arises naturally. Be your future self now, then do what that future self would do, and you will have the desired results. Let's begin... THREAT #1: Without Hope in Your Future, Your Present Loses Meaning “The first and most fundamental threat to your Future Self is not having hope in your future. Without hope, the present loses meaning. Without hope, you don't have clear goals or a sense of purpose for your life. Without hope, there is no way. Without hope, you decay." Connecting with your long-term Future Self is essential to quality decisions in the present. The further out you imagine and connect, the more informed and strategic you can be. Of course, your Future Self will adapt and change, but that does not discount the importance of being connected We almost can't help taking on the qualities and character of the people and thin Effective progress comes with a combination of measurable metrics, a vivid vision of your Future Self, and clear mile markers. Without these elements, people wander.

Different questions spark innovative thinking and new angles. Psychologist and spiritual teacher Dr. Wayne Dyer said, “When you change the way you see things, the things you see change.” When you change what you’re looking for, you change what you see. According to Dr. Hal Hershfield, a UCLA psychologist who has invested 15 years studying the Future Self concept, the first step to farsighted decision-making is being connected to your Future Self. Connection starts with having empathy for your Future Self, just as you’d have empathy for another person. To have empathy, you consider the other person’s perspectives. According to a wealth of psychological studies from the past decade, people’s responses often vary widely – and their answers reveal surprising things about their behavioural tendencies. To combat this threat, you need two things: a will, and a way. You need to possess the will to create meaning in your future (and thus your present), and you need to have faith that you will find a way. THREAT #3: Being Unaware of Your Environment Creates a Random Evolution “If you’re around people who have low expectations for you, you'll fall to those standards. If you're around people with high expectations, you'll rise to those standards."

Without specified goals, flow is extremely difficult because goals create constraints within which a person can focus. If you have absolutely no objectives for your day, how could you possibly know where to focus? Creativity occurs by giving form or organisation to disorganised raw materials. For example, a table isn’t built out of nothing but organised from raw materials that were previously disorganised or undesigned. Summary: “Assume the consciousness of being the one you want to be, and you will be saved from your present state." -Neville Goddard Your actions come from your identity. When your identity is rooted in current commitments, rather than your Future Self, your actions are weak and unaligned with your goal. The only way to realise your Future Self is to be your Future Self now You can know you’re committed to something when you ask for it. When you ask directly, boldly, and without apology.

That question is the answer to all your life's questions. When you know who you want to be then you know what you're going to do today. That answer directly impacts how motivated you are, and how you feel about yourself. It's the answer to whether you'll distract yourself on social media for hours, whether you'll eat junk food and what time you get up in the morning. Another step of empathy is appreciating how your actions, or inactions, impact the other person. In this case, how are your current behaviours impacting your Future Self? The inspiration for the recent psychological research on the future self can be found in the writings of philosophers such as Joseph Butler, in the 18th Century. “If the self or person of today, and that of tomorrow, are not the same, but only like persons, the person of today is really no more interested in what will befall the person of tomorrow, than in what will befall any other person,” Butler wrote in 1736.