.Write Your Own Future.
Dear Reader,
As the “fake it till you make it” sentiment alludes to, literally act as if you are the self you dream about. I start this simply by writing the future things I want to occur as if they already happened.
Meaning, go a step beyond planning what you will do for the day and write it down as if it was the past. This has helped me incredibly regarding food and gratefulness. I'm working on applying it to other areas of my life also.
Here is one example of how this works for me: by keeping a food log and even writing down what I plan to eat tomorrow during the evening before the next day. It works for me because I keep just one step ahead. This is important because writing much farther into the future changes your log from past to future. It changes this tactic from predicting what you'll do far out in the future, to this log becoming just a normal planner.
I keep my logs simple and they only relate to two instances. My one log is fasting and food. I have kept this log for over 3 years. I keep this organized in the Notes app on my iPhone. It's simple. It's easy to fill out. It serves its purpose of keeping me aware of what and when I eat. No fancy calibrations, food searches, calorie counting is needed. If it's healthy I won't need to worry about nutrition. I can glance at my list and see if it's mainly carbs, fats, proteins, or sugars. The words "cinnabon" or "cashews" speak volumes about the nutrients of a snack.
The other log is gratefulness and affirmations. I have kept this log for over 22 months. This I write in a physical notebook, The 5 Minute Journal, blank pages, anywhere. There are many articles about the studies and results of how beneficial a daily/recurring practice of gratefulness and affirmations is. One such affirmation I wrote as if it occurred was in preparation for a certification exam. I affirmed to myself that I loved the feeling of passing. On other days I affirmed the fact that I held this certification. The research explains how/why, but I do not doubt that this contributed to my passing after months of studies and affirmations.
What are areas of your life that you are grateful for? What are situations or feelings that you can affirm about yourself and your life?
Go a step beyond a planner. Write down that which you wish to complete, and become a doer.
In Sympatheia, The Holistic Stoic
This is in response to reading the WSJ article "fake it till you make it"
Photo by @hannahj236
