Have you met your future self?

The older, wiser version of you?

The you that’s waiting to emerge over time?

The calm, clear, quiet voice of wisdom we all have within us?

In a powerful yoga session, the brilliant Roisin spoke about making choices that day that our future selves would be grateful for.

They were words that snagged in my brain - and those of other people in the class too. Lots of us gathered round her at the end to ask her to repeat the words.

They were wise words.

And useful ones too.

It’s why visualising our future self - who we will become in 20 years or more - can be a powerful thing to do.

I’ve realised recently that I love to learn by listening.

Preferably outside and walking as I do it.

It’s a rather astonishing discovery!

For years I have sat down at a desk and taken notes as I absorbed information. Lots of notes.

I’ve also read a lot, and taken a lot of notes.

And it’s worked in lots of ways. It’s got me here.

But now it’s my least favourite way to take on information and get insight.

So what’s changed?

Have I changed?

Or have I been able to test out different ways of learning and found ones that work better?

This little girl is about to head off for her first day at school. She loves to read and learn, and so it’s exciting - as well as a bit overwhelming - to be starting something new.

At school she will work hard, follow all the things that interest her, and have some brilliant teachers who bring out the best in her.

She will also learn how to be a perfect pupil.

To learn that there’s always a right answer, and that it’s important to get that answer right.

A big part of her identity will be being the clever one who always does well and rarely makes a mistake – which will come with some pros and a good few cons.

This little girl is me, and the advice I would give my younger self is that it’s OK not to be a perfect pupil.

When I’m coaching with someone - and when I’m being coached - there can often be a sense of stuckness.

We know what we need to do to move forward.

To get closer to where we want to be.

And yet, we don’t do it.

Sometimes we can be stuck with our foot on the brake, teetering on the edge of a step. Worried about making a mistake or going in the wrong direction.

Sometimes we can be stuck with our foot on the accelerator, not daring to slow down because we think we don’t have time. Scared that if we stop things could fall apart.

In the worst cases, it’s both. Pulling us in different directions and adding to the overwhelm.

It’s so easy to find ourselves here. Stuck between speeding up, and slowing down.

I never thought I’d be a person who wrote Morning Pages.

I had always heard about people doing them and thought it wasn’t for me. 3 pages of A4 felt an awful lot, and I didn’t think I had the time.

Even after I bought The Artist’s Way it sat on my bookshelf for at least 2 years. Committing to the whole 12 week plan felt overwhelming.

And yet….

Since September 22nd last year, I’ve filled 7 note books with my (pretty illegible) handwriting.

Every morning for the last 369 days I’ve woken up, opened my notebook, and emptied my head.

Sometimes it’s simply a list of things I’m doing that day, and what I want to remember.

Sometimes there’s a thought in my head that needs to come up.

Some days I’m full of inspiration, other days I write about what the dog is doing at the end of the bed.

And now I can’t imagine missing a day.