Future Self
Erin Gobler, personal finance writer and educator, wrote a blog post in 2019 about her plan to pay down a six-figure debt. She updated the post the next year to share that she had succeeded in paying off all of the non-student loans, including a car loan and credit card debt.
Aresh Hashemi was close to 300 pounds when he became determined to complete a half Ironman within a year and then a full Ironman competition in two years. In a Wild Planet Foods interview, he states that although others thought he was crazy, he was tired of his overweight self and his habits. So, instead of just dreaming about being better, he decided to actually become better. Goals met and 100 pounds lighter, Hashemi now motivates others to pursue a healthy lifestyle by sharing his story, recipes, and more on social media under the title ShredHappens.
Sometimes hearing about someone else’s success inspires us to achieve our own.
I was recently inspired in my own spiritual growth from an episode shared on The Next Right Thing Podcast by Emily P. Freeman. In episode 333, entitled “The List That Could Save Your Fall,” Freeman discusses making a list that she calls a “For My Future Self” list. The idea was formed earlier this year as she considered all the ways that she wanted to spend her time over the summer. Her intention was to avoid feeling that she had wasted her time. Specifically, she wanted to make sure she would not regret not having participated in or achieved certain happenings she hoped to experience. In essence, she created a list for what she wanted her summer to look like as she looked back on it from the future. She says, “Three months from now, what will I be so glad I started, finished, decided, enjoyed, or engaged?”
Focusing on our future selves is certainly a biblical concept. For instance, Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” This passage encourages believers to think beyond immediate concerns and focus instead on eternal values and future promises. Colossians 3 goes on to list attitudes or actions to exclude, along with others to add to the Christian life. Elsewhere in the New Testament, we are encouraged to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14, NASB), a reminder that there is a reward to be obtained for those who persevere in following God’s direction.
There are so many wonderful and amazing promises offered to those who commit to living a Christian life. Using the “future self list” principle, I have decided to pay more purposeful attention to some things I’d like to experience more over the next three or four months.
To illustrate, I’ve made a list of Scriptures that, when practiced, will allow me to look back and see that I didn’t miss out on experiencing joy. Life is hard. Grief, suffering, heartache, disappointment, etc., can easily rob us of the blessing of joy, if we allow it. When I look back on my spiritual life at the end of this calendar year, I want to be able to say that I have experienced joy through the following ways:
In serving others and sharing God’s love: “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35).
By reflecting on God’s goodness and giving thanks: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:16-18).
By experiencing God’s presence through prayer and worship: “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11).
By embracing kindness and forgiveness: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Eph. 4:31-32).
By avoiding groaning and complaining: “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky” (Phil. 2:14-15).
What Scriptures would you emphasize when considering your own future self?
