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I’ve just finished enjoying a book by Liane Moriarty entitled ‘What Alice Forgot‘. Without giving the whole plot away, it tells the tale of a woman who wakes up after a bump on the head worrying about her pregnancy only to find out that she is not 29 and pregnant as she believes but actually 39 with 3 children but is missing the last 10 years of her life. She finds that she isn’t sure that she likes everything that she must have become based on how other people treat her. I found myself wondering what me 10 years ago would think of the me of today.
While I am not suggesting you deliberately try to get a bump on the head to do this, it can be interesting, and useful, to step back in time 10 years in your mind and consider who you were then, as well as to think of who you might be 10 years from now. I’ll share my own reflections before providing some tips on how to complete your own.
Looking back to 2009:
When I do look back, I recognise that it was a time when my partner and I had just moved home town for my job, I had taken on a demanding role with lots of travel, was happy to see my parents enjoying their retirement and … within a year or to I was sadly also not putting as much focus on my relationship as I should have been.
In the 10 years that followed, I enjoyed bigger roles and what comes with that for a while but at the loss of time day to day to enjoy the simple things in life, and by putting some pressure on my relationship. My parents both started to have health issues and I had to reassess my approach to life and work. I completed a Masters part-time in those 10 years which my old self would have been pleased about, and I set up my business, Free to Lead, which has now been going strong for over 4 years.
I am also pleased to say that my change in priorities means I have spent a lot of time in the last few years supporting my parents as they needed to be supported as well as having more focus on my day to day health, sleep, new 4 legged family member, Bramble (now 5) and my partner.
Looking forward to 2029:
If I try to see myself 10 years from now, I find myself wanting to ensure that when I look back I can be proud that I put some time into my song-writing. It’s long been on the cards and I don’t think I can keep on thinking ‘one day…’. I believe I will have created a programme of support for organisations for those employees who are committed to both their jobs and part time care of elderly relatives with dementia. It is something close to my heart where I believe I can help provide a safe thinking space for some relief from the pressure with those going through a similar journey. I also expect that my partner and I will be planning some travel or perhaps even working abroad for a while.
Now it’s your turn.
(1) Look at yourself in the mirror today. What do you see? Who is the person standing before you right now? What does that person stand for? What is important to you? Where do you spend your time? What do you love about your life? What is not so good about it?
(2) Now imagine yourself 10 years ago looking into a mirror. Who were you then? How much has your life changed in 10 years? How much have you changed as a person? Would the you of 10 years ago even recognise your current self? What have you chosen to remember and fought to forget in those 10 years? What would you do if you had your more youthful head on your shoulders today? What does getting reconnected to your old self bring up for you in terms of anything you might need to change today?
(3) Now imagine yourself 10 years from now looking into that mirror. How have the last 10 years panned out? How have you lived them? Who are you now? What does that mean the you of 2019 might need to stop, start or continue?
Finally, I hope you have enjoyed your time travel from April 2019 to April 2009 and April 2029. Here’s to creating great future memories
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