Try to imagine yourself as an older person – but focus on the things you cannot see

"What would happen if I decided that my future self is not by definition inferior to a younger version of me?" Is that even possible?

It is my fellow pro-age friend Micaela Bartels from PR:OUD (https://www.pr-oud.com) who asked the question.

"What would happen if I decided that my future self is not by definition inferior to a younger version of me?"

It is such a powerful question. But I wonder if it is even possible.

I recently had the pleasure of opening a session at Radical Health Festival in Helsinki on “How to Turn the Silver Tsunami into a Golden Opportunity”. I guided the audience in a visualisation and asked them to imagine themselves at 70 year old or older. This is not the first time I do this exercise. I often start my talks or workshops like this to make people realise how we are limiting ourselves by internalizing the dominating stereotypical and negative narrative about what it means to grow older. But seeing yourself in the future can also be a strong motivator for living healthier lifestyles.

Behavioral psychologist Hal Hershfield [1] says that people who are able to connect with their future selves are better able to make wise decision today that will improve their future lives. So, if for instance you want to lose weight, being able to imagine yourself in a lighter version in the future, will help you make better choices for what you eat today. I can see how this can be highly motivating for achieving goals like losing weight, or get stronger or better at certain skills?  But what if the process of ageing comes into the equation and the knowledge that statistically some of those goals get a lot harder with age. I mean I will have to be very optimistic if I think I can get the body I had when I was 20 if I just work hard enough for it. Let´s not kid ourselves, there is a reason, apart from stereotypical narratives about age, why we might see a future version of ourselves as less capable physically and cognitively.

So how can we realistically decide that our future selves are not by definition inferior to a younger version of ourselves?

The trick, I think, is to look beyond the things that immediately meets the eyes. There are so many ways we can change. Let´s not limit our imagination to how we might look, dress and move in the future. Let´s try and imagine what our inner traits, thoughts and emotions might be like. What might be my perspective on life as a 70-year-old? How do I imagine my future self-talk be like – maybe kinder than it is now? How do I imagine myself respond to challenges – maybe with a more open and accepting mindset?

Just to be clear, I am not advocating from giving up on goals that will make you stronger, healthier or better at something just because age might make it more difficult – I am just saying that there are many ways to grow.

One of the things I have gained from having a regular mindfulness practice is not a life with less struggles. It is a life where I know that I have great influence on how to respond to those struggles. I am still learning how to use this influence, and I like to think that I will learn a bit more about it in the next 20-30 years of my life. So, when I imagine myself as a 70, 80- or 90-year-old, I do not see a woman without struggles. My future self might even be worse off in some ways compared to my current self, but she is by no means inferior. She looks different, but I think she is wiser on the inside. That both motivates me and gives me hope.

How does your future self-look like? Maybe take a moment during your summer holiday to reflect on this and connect with that person.

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^[1] From Dan Harris´ Podcast by; Ten 10% Happier (https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/hal-hershfield)