I’ve written this article to give you a wake up call.

I think this is an important read for anyone, especially for younger people between the ages of 16-25.

Here we go…

When I was younger, especially in my childhood and teenage years, I always imagined that the future version of myself would somehow magically be able to do everything I couldn’t.

I wasn’t confident with girls – but future me would be.

I was afraid of public speaking – but future me would be great at it.

I didn’t know anything about business or investing – but future me would be an expert.

I didn’t know exactly how these changes would take place. I guess I just thought that confidence, knowledge, skill etc. all just naturally came with age.

Guess what – it doesn’t.

Instead of getting better with age – you just get older.

It took me a long time to face facts:

I wouldn’t know anything until I took the time to learn it

I wouldn’t experience anything until I took the time to do it

I wouldn’t have anything until I took the time to get it

My fears, insecurities, and weaknesses would stay with me forever until I dealt with them, and if I didn’t deal with them, I would die with them.

Don’t be delusional like I was

Instead of being delusional like I was, and imagining future you with an easier life, more money, and less problems, I recommend imagining future you as being the exact same person as present you, just older, and with less time on their hands.

I’m not telling you to have a negative view of your future – but a realistic one.

It’s easy to:

Exercise

Go on a diet

Lose weight

Meditate

Give up a bad habit

Go outside your comfort zone

Have a difficult conversation

Keep your promises

Save money

Study

Tomorrow – but can you do it today?

If fear is holding you back today, what makes you think it won’t hold you back tomorrow?

If you can’t be bothered doing it now, what makes you think you’ll want to do it later?

Don’t trust future you

The number of times I’ve thought to myself with absolute 100% certainty:

“I’ll start my diet on Monday!”

“Next month I’m going to… (insert goal)”

“My new years resolution is to…”

But as soon as the day/time arrived, I just postponed it again until ‘tomorrow’ or some future date, and then continued doing the same crap I’d always done, and all my good intentions went right out the window.

Why is that? Wasn’t I serious? Didn’t I mean what I said?

Actually I meant every word. It was practically a vow to myself.

But future me felt differently, and was easily able to override the promises of past me, simply because they had a change of heart.

Hasn’t that happened to you a million times before?

You really meant it when you said it, but when the day/time arrived you just didn’t care anymore, and so you ended up doing the same things you always do?

And even if you are someone who always keeps their promises and does what they say they’re going to do, doesn’t life and other people frequently get in the way of you achieving your goals and doing what you wanted to do?

Guess what – that’s the reality of life. That’s the way it is. You can’t count on the future because you don’t know what tomorrow will bring, and you can’t rely on future you because you don’t know how you’re going to feel tomorrow.

If something is important to you, don’t wait until tomorrow, next week, or next month, do it now while you still can.

Today is the oldest you’ve ever been and the youngest you’ll ever be again.

You will never have more time on your hands to achieve your goals than you do now.

Be a friend to future you

“Do something today that your future self will be thankful for.” – Anon

Finally know this: Most people don’t do what’s best for them, they simply do whatever is easiest and most convenient in the moment – even if it’s not the healthiest or smartest option in the long run.

Count on future you being this way.

If it’s not easy or convenient, you probably won’t want to do it.

Do yourself a favor and set things up to be as easy and as convenient as possible for future you.

Start by going to bed early so that you give future you the best possible start to the day.

Let future you wake up with:

8 hours of sleep

A clean and tidy house

Healthy food in the fridge

Money in your wallet and in the bank

A clear set of goals and a plan for the day which is easy to follow and execute

Don’t make things harder on your future self than they need to be and wake up with only two hours sleep, dishes in the sink, no healthy food in the fridge, a messy house, massive debt, and lots of urgent deadlines.

Be a friend to future you and do things today that your future self will be grateful for.

In conclusion:

Your life is improved now – not later.

Don’t leave anything for tomorrow that you can do today.

Don’t count on what you ‘will do’. What you ‘will do’ doesn’t count.

If you want something to happen – you have to make it happen.

And if you don’t make it happen – it won’t happen.

Your book won’t get written until you write it.

Your movie won’t get made until you make it.

Your business won’t get started until you start it.

Time left to itself doesn’t improve anything.

You do.

“A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.” – General, George S. Patton

“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.” – Pablo Picasso

“Tomorrow, (Noun), a mystical land where 99% of all human productivity, motivation, and achievement is stored.” – Unknown