No, this isn’t a fantasy game or a pick-your-favorite-superhero exercise. I’m asking in earnest. Who do you want to be—in one year, five years, or twenty years?
Can you answer the question easily in a sentence or two, or does it make you say, “Hmm … well … I think I might…”?
If you know the answer, awesome!—keep taking small steps toward becoming that future person.
The rest of us need to spend some time pondering the question:
What kind of person do I aspire to be? What does that future person look like?
Why am I asking such ridiculous, abstract questions?
Because I believe that all of us can (and do) change. We can take small steps today that lead us toward becoming a better person. But what does that better person look like? How do I know if I’m making progress if I don’t know who I am hoping to become?
Or, to put it another way, how can I be intentional about my daily choices when I don’t know where I’m trying to go?
For example: I know I ought to be taking care of my body and exercising consistently, but that’s a pretty vague and uninspiring statement.
Instead, what if I answered the who do I want to be question like this: I want to be the sort of person who is still in good enough shape in their 70s to enjoy hiking.
Do you see what this does? It confirms my values (enjoying the outdoors, staying healthy) and it gives me a concrete direction (going hiking in my 70s) that informs my choices today. I am old enough to realize that if I don’t intentionally exercise, stretch, and eat wisely now I will not be in the kind of shape I wish to be in fifteen or twenty years. Keeping this positive mental image in mind helps me to maintain motivation and helps me make choices about which small daily choices will best help me reach my destination.
How to define your future person
We can (and should) think about our answers to this question in many different areas of life, such as career, ministry, personal health, etc. As we ponder possible answers, keep these things in mind:
- Our “future person” should take us closer to our ideals, values, and passions.
- Our “future person” is not about wishful thinking or meeting unrealistic expectations
- It is about daring to aim high and become a stronger, wiser, more authentic version of who we are today.
- It should inspire us in a positive way, making it easier to make the hard choices because we really like the idea of where those choices will lead us in the long run.
How about you?
Do you have an image of the “future person” you want to become in five, ten, or twenty years? If not, thinking about your destination might be in order. Are you courageous enough to give it a try?
