Day 1 of the 31-Day Mindful Wellbeing Challenge, January 2023
Having a clear vision and sense of connection with a BIG DREAM not only fuels our inner fire but also gives us a kick-start to get going. Today, with the arrival of a fresh New Year, we also have a greater sense of potential and possibility, and a very clear starting line.
Your first Mindful Wellbeing Challenge is to write a letter to your future self.
Your future self is the person you see yourself becoming as you grow in the year ahead: and, on this occasion our focus will be on our sense of Wellbeing and what rituals or practices we have chosen to incorporate into our daily life.
This is an invitation to write yourself a letter, date marked one year in the future. Crafting this ‘life letter’ allows you to imagine your best life one year from now – picturing yourself thriving and living a full, happy life. The clarity of your vision can then empower you to take the steps to make it so.
Energy goes where attention flows.
Your Letter may also include other areas of your life (ie. work, social, travel) but our focus is on our sense of Wellbeing.
Some Science
Science has not yet found a way to time travel, but studies have shown that when we have a clear vision of exactly what it is we wish to achieve or accomplish, and vividly describe and write down our goals, dreams or intentions, we are 42 per cent more likely to achieve them.
Put simply, writing down your goals has a powerful impact on your chances of success.
A Harvard Business study found that people with written goals are x3 more successful than those who don’t write down goals, and research from Oxford and Cambridge suggests our ability to vividly imagine details about a bright future dramatically increases our energy and momentum, leading to constructive action.
Visualisation has also been shown to help us feel the positive emotions associated with our future goals, which further boosts our motivation to achieve them.
I believe that articulating our dreams and wishes, whether written or spoken, signals to the universe that we are ready to receive, and this can activate our subconscious, our GPS or compass, which helps us then see opportunities and make the right choices .. which is the universe aligning to bring us what we want.
For example, from a Mindful Wellness perspective, you might see yourself effortlessly engaging in a daily morning meditation practice and finding a deep and abiding sense of calm flowing into your day. If you see yourself in this beautiful vision, and write it down in detail, then you are not only more likely to succeed in fulfilling that image, but each time you meditate you ARE fulfilling that image, which not only feels wonderful (dopamine = reward) but repeating the behaviour or habit cements that new neural pathway – so it becomes easier each time.
You are actively bringing to life your dreams and goals – one step at a time.
Imagine YOU on 1st January 2024
1. Start with a fresh sheet of paper, in a quiet and cosy corner. Give yourself some undisturbed ‘me’ time.
2. Before you begin, be sure to take a moment to close your eyes and allow your breath, your body and your mind to settle first.
3. Date the top of the page and start your letter with “To my future self”.
4. Imagine your life in one years time – you are one year older and one year wiser and you have lived an amazing and fulfilling year. In 2023 you have embraced some healthy lifestyle habits that have helped you navigate the year .. what might those Wellbeing practices look like? One technique that I like to use, is to imagine my perfect day or morning routine, and imagine what it includes and how it makes me feel.
5. When ready, open your eyes and start writing your letter from your future self – your 2024 self, writing back to your 2023 self. starting with “Dear (your name) ..”. Here are some prompts that might also guide the letter that you write to yourself:
~ What wellbeing goals did you aspire to, and achieve?
~ What feelings did you FEEL?
~ What practices or rituals can you imagine being a part of your daily life in 2024?
~ What challenges or limiting beliefs did you overcome?
~ What helped give you a deeper sense of wellness and connection?
~ What did you say YES to?
~ What piece of advice (regarding Wellbeing) would you like to share with your younger self?
Be kind. Be patient. Be Gentle. Be positive.
6. When finished put your letter into an envelope and seal it. On the front write “TO (your name). To be opened on 1st January 2024″. You could then set an appointment in your calendar to open your letter in one years time and put the envelope somewhere safe where no one can access it.
There is also a free online service for this very purpose called FutureMe that will deliver your letter back to you via email anytime between one month to 50 years in the future.
And, if you like, you can share some of your wellbeing goals over on the Quiet Mind Meditation Instagram page #QMMindfulChallenge
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.”
Henry David Thoreau