What Very Few Tell You About Winning the Game of Life

How to succeed on Medium or in any other endeavor.

You've placed your dreams too far into the future.

Benjamin Hardy, Ph.D., in his book "Be Your Future Self Now," talks about the idea that you can live in accordance with how your desired future self lives NOW.

You can be your future self as your current self. You don't have to wait.

In every moment of your life, you can adjust your perspective to think about how your current actions affect your future self.

We, humans, are the only beings capable of being able to think far into the future, but we don't exercise this power enough.

We neglect our future selves to pursue our instant gratifications. We don't think about how what we are currently doing is drastically altering the future we want for ourselves.

If you could start to visualize and create a strong image of your desired future, you can actively start living in that space now and doing the things that will bring those goals to fruition.

It doesn't matter if it feels like a lie. The reality is if you are actively living as your future self would, you're not actually lying.

You're living it. You're of a different identity.

Why You Struggle to Change

The problem is you care too much about what others will think of you when you change that you hold your own self back. You neglect to realize that none of that matters because it's your life, and most of your current relationships are based on an identity you want to outgrow anyway.

The problem is you are scared of change because you know it will require sacrifice. You neglect to realize that you've become so accustomed to your current state that you aren't willing to give certain things up, even though it will completely change your life for the better.

You’re too busy pleasing your current self, but your current self will lead you down a spiral of misery and neglect.

If you aren't living in a way NOW that will bring about the future you want for yourself, you have to get uncomfortable with what you've become comfortable doing.

Once you have a clear vision of where you want to go, and you are constantly thinking about how your future self is living, you are more apt to change the current pattern in your life.

You've become too used to neglecting the "little you." I say "little" because that's how trivial we tend to think our future selves are. We struggle so much to think about our future because our future is, well…in the future.

We want to feel good NOW. The future is too far. But here's the thing: living as your future self would now—stepping into your future self and actively being them now—brings them that much closer.

If you could be your future self now, then you would no longer feel like that future vision you have for yourself is so distant. You would no longer be okay sabotaging your future self as your current self because your future self is your current self.

You will no longer be putting things off for your "tomorrow" self because your tomorrow is your today.

How to Commit

I think we all know that to truly have the life we desire, we have to truly commit. We may think we are committed, but if we are still doing those things that won't pull us toward our goals, we don't want it badly enough.

That's what you're scared of, isn't it?

You know deep down that you don't want it badly enough to make it happen, but at the same time, you swear you do want it. And yet, it seems like you don't because you just can't get off the couch.

You just can't turn off the TV.

You just can't stay out of the fridge.

You know you are actively sabotaging your future, but it feels so good to do so. "What is wrong with me?"

Nothing's wrong. It just isn't quite…right. You know that no matter how badly you want it, you just can't get yourself to do the hard things. You're scared of change. You must not be committed, right?

CORRECT.

But, if you can begin to think about the little you deep in the future, if you can begin to think about how they would be living in that very moment, and you start to act in that light, your present downward trajectory will be that much more alarming to you.

You will no longer be able to stomach your misery. You will have to escape it because you so clearly and vividly see how what you are doing isn’t you. You are now different. You’re wearing your future self’s cloak, and it feels heavier and heavier with each neglectful action you take.

Once you start living as your future self NOW, your identity changes instantly, and it won't feel like a lie. Once you start living as your future self NOW, then you will be doing the very things that will actualize your goals.

When you start living as your future self NOW, you win because you have fully committed. When people tell you that you have to commit, the only way to feel that and know you've truly committed is to live as your future self. It's something you can feel.

How about you don’t let this be something you just read and nod your head and agree with? How about you finally take action and try to live as your future self now and watch your life change?

Watch your identity change in an instant, as instant as all of those gratifications you can't let go of.

If you are actively living as your future self now, is it even a lie? Even if you are only doing it this current hour, aren't you, at this very moment, being who you want to be?

So be. I encourage you. I implore you.

Be that person that you know deep down you want to be. Bring your future self to your level here in the present.

Make them walk in the same light together. Your future self has already accomplished everything you want to accomplish, so learn from them by being them.

Life will never be the same.