How does your Future self differ from your Now self or your True self? Let’s take a look at how acknowledging each of these selves might help get you where you want to go–with your knitting and anything else! Last Friday I talked about a True self and how acknowledging or being your True self can support your forward progress.
Future Self
Your Future self is just you in the future. It may be 20 minutes in the future, or some time in the more distant future. We all have, at least in our lifetime, a Future self. If we have a future, why do we need to worry about our Future self now?
Let’s say you put something away. You do this for your Future self. We do this all the time without ever thinking of it as doing something for our Future self. We do it now because we will be able to get it later or it might make our current environment better, or if we don’t do it we won’t know where it is. Do you ever question putting that thing away? How do you decide to do it? You are probably making a concession to your Future self: You will be able to go to where you put it away, find it, and use it again. Personally, I never put my keys back where they belong (in the little orange zipper pouch in my purse) because I want to do it now. I do it because later, I will look there first. My Future self will be able to organize itself to get out the door without having to look for my keys.
Why We Honor the Future Self
As I decide whether or not to put that head form back on the top shelf of the cabinet in my studio/office, I do it for my Future self. It is actually easier for my Now self to leave it sitting on the footstool I had to get out to get it off the top shelf in the first place. I made a choice to honor my Future self by putting it away. It meant I could also put away the footstool and close the cabinet door, so it was a huge win for all my selves!
In more knitterly terms, if I choose to stick to a current project so I can finish it as planned instead of starting a new project, I am honoring my Future self.
- I will have a completed project to use as intended,
- Having completed my project will make me happy, and
- I can start a new project without guilt!
Make Progress By Thinking Of Your Future Self
It seems counterintuitive to act for your Future self, but we often profit now too. When your knitting gets boring or you see some delicious new thing, try to stick with the one you are already working on for your Future self. But there are ways to make both Now and Future happy:
- Make a swatch for a future project when you are bored with your current project. Then go back to your current project. Your swatch now will help you be prepared to start a new project in the future.
- Wind all the yarn you need wound while you have the swift and ball winder set up to save having to do it later.
- Put together a project bag or basket for each project that has everything in it as you are planning your project. Boring now. Happy later!
- Plan how to get through each stage of your project so you can work on the next one sooner.
- Add extra time into your plan–you know you will need it, even though right now you think you won’t.
- Picture how you will use that project when you finish it.
- Window shop for your next project. Your selves will enjoy it now and later!
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