A year from now, there's a version of you who already knows how this
part turns out.
Let's go and meet them.
Get comfortable, sitting or lying down.
Let your hands rest wherever they land.
Close your eyes.
You don't need a clear picture for any of A this.
feeling or a rough sketch is Some plenty.
people see things vividly and some people don't see much at Both all.
are fine here.
Breathe in slowly through your And nose.
breathe out through your letting mouth, your body settle.
Again.
In...
noticing the air come in.
And out...
letting today's noise go quiet for a bit.
Picture yourself standing at the start of a It path.
runs through a wide field of long grass, and the wind is moving it
softly.
The path goes a long way ahead.
Each step you take on it is one month further into the future.
Take the first step.
One month from now.
Then another.
Notice the light changing a little as you walk.
Keep walking.
Four months.
Six.
The seasons are turning around you.
Maybe it gets colder, then warmer again.
Nine months.
Ten.
Eleven.
And twelve.
If your mind drifts off to something else on the way, that's fine.
Just pick the path back up where you left it.
At the end of the path, someone is waiting for you.
It's you.
One year from now.
Don't rush to their face.
Look at how they're standing first.
Their shoulders.
The way they hold their hands.
Do they look tired, or rested?
Tense, or easy in their body?
Just notice.
No need to judge what you see.
Now look at their face.
What's in their eyes when they look at you?
Maybe it's kindness.
Maybe a bit of amusement, like they know something you don't yet.
They might feel familiar and a little different at the same time.
That's okay.
They're still you, just further along.
You get to ask them two questions.
Ask the first one quietly.
What did you stop doing this year?
Let the answer come.
It might be words, or just a feeling somewhere in your body.
Whatever it is, you don't need to argue with it or explain it away.
Now ask the second.
What did you start doing?
Wait for it.
It might surprise you.
It might be something small, like going to bed earlier,
or calling your mum more.
Before you your go,
future self wants to tell you one Just thing.
one sentence.
Let them say it.
Listen,
and don't worry about getting it word for If word.
nothing came, that's Sometimes alright.
it shows up in later,
the shower or on a walk.
Keep an ear If open.
something did come, hold on to Maybe it.
say it back to yourself once, quietly.
Stand there with them for a while, in the long grass.
You don't have to say anything more.
Maybe they put a hand on your shoulder.
Maybe you just stand side by side and watch the wind move through the
field.
Let yourself feel what it's like to be near them.
Now turn around and walk back down the path.
Twelve months...
six...
one...
all the way back to today.
Pick one small action you could begin today that moves you toward them.
Something you could actually do before bed tonight.
Not a big plan.
Just a first move, like drinking a glass of water, or sending that one
email you've been avoiding.
Got it?
Good.
Now wiggle your fingers and toes,
and take a slow breath in...
And out.
Open your eyes when you're ready.
Go and do the small thing you picked.
A year from now,
someone is going to be quietly glad you did.