What can you do right now to set your future self up for success? What will your future self thank your past self for when things get busy? These are questions I often ask myself when I have some unstructured time. A practice that has become a habit.
When things get busy we often can become overwhelmed quickly. Anticipating this and intentionally doing things that will prepare you for those times is one of the best habits I feel I have developed. And it applies everywhere else in your life, not just as a business tool. Everything from meal prepping on the weekends so I can just grab meals during a busy week to having a dedicated kit for going on location for corporate headshots that is already packed and ready to go. I sometimes don’t even think about it but when I do I have to thank my past self for having the foresight to anticipate these things.
Where to start
So how do you begin this habit? Well for me it started with habit stacking. If you don’t know, is a method of combining asks that are related, or that you want to start doing more consistently. Like putting the dishes away in the morning while coffee is brewing. Then when you get home after work your living space is tidy and uncluttered. There is some research about it saying that you are more likely to stick with the added task if it is paired with something you already have set as a habit.
This prompted a plethora of new options for habits that I wanted to start. Without overwhelming myself with ALL the new habits I picked a few to see if they stuck. Asking myself what would future self thank me for that made life a little easier. This also gives me more flexibility to do things when I have the capacity instead of not being able to when the time comes. Reducing stress and feeling accomplished Thank you past self.
Examples
- Put dishes away while morning coffee is brewing.
- Automating monthly reports to get pulled so I stay on top of tracking in my business.
- Organizing digital assets for the month or year like monthly folders for reports or documents.
- Backing into the driveway when I get home when I know I need to leave early and may be running a little late.
- Charging batteries the day before a big event so I know won’t be stuck in the middle of an event without power for my cameras.
- Folding and putting laundry away as soon as I take it out of the dryer.
I invite you to sit down and think about ways you can thank your past self by combining tasks or handling things once. It will greatly free up your mind and time giving you some more freedom and flexibility to do more of the things you love.