Manifest Your Dreams witih This Fun "Future Self" Journaling Exercise

Future self journaling can help you get out of your own way and into the perfect headspace for manifesting your dreams. It’s the perfect journaling technique for expanding your mind to think beyond your current circumstances, generating motivation to take imperfect actions toward your goals, and gaining clarity about what you truly want from your life.

Whether you’re stuck on a long-term or short-term goal, the future self journal prompts and tips I’m sharing today are sure to give you the boost that you need.

Are you ready for change?

Believe in Your Vision

A few days ago, I received a notification on YouTube that this video by Spiritual YouTuber, HINDZ had been published. Titled, “If you have a dream, this is for you” the video caught my attention and I clicked to see what my ol’ friend (in my head) HINDZ had to say. 

The overall message in the video was simple, lovingly delivered, and profound. 

He dropped several gems throughout, but there was one beautiful sentence that resonated with me so much that it felt like a personal message. I ended up holding onto the sentence and I declared it my new favorite affirmation. 

He said, “Believe in your vision.”  

I do my best to live a heart-centered life, running my heart-centered business, tapping into my heart’s energy when I make decisions, and leading with love as much as possible in my day-to-day interactions and activities. But even with that, I sometimes get caught up in what I’m doing to the point that I forget where I’m going. 

When HINDZ said “Believe in your vision,” I saw the gist of what my dreams are, but I felt like there was a glare on the screen of my mind. I couldn’t fully focus on details that I saw before. So, I felt inspired to remedy that by picking up my journal and doing a little future self journaling. 

What Exactly is Future Self Journaling?

There are a few different variations of future self journaling. It can be done in a storytelling format, as a list, or even a letter that you write to your future self. 

My favorite is the storytelling format. It's sort of like narrating the events of your day in the present tense. 

The bottom line is that this journaling technique has you focus on your future self while writing in the present tense. You’re writing from the perspective of someone who already has what they want.

For example, if your goal is to buy a new house in five years, you will journal as yourself five years from now enjoying your new home. 

You might write something like “I’m so in love with my new house! I finally have enough room to entertain and I have the roof-top deck I always wanted.” Remember to always write in the present tense.

Yes, This Really Works

“Act as if” is a popular phrase among people who practice the law of attraction.

It essentially means to act as if you are already the person you want to be and living the life you want to live. 

Our human minds have a natural tendency to get a little too caught up in our current results, causing us to create limitations in our minds that keep us stuck.

This can happen in so many different situations. Like if you want to get a promotion at work but you won't apply for it because you were skipped over the last time you applied. In this situation, you're stuck due to a fear of rejection or a belief that you won't ever measure up.

When we practice future self journaling, we're opening our minds and energy to align with our dreams. It puts us in a place where we can "act as if" and connect with ourselves on a level deep enough to awaken a stagnant unmotivated mind. 

It could be the thing that opens you up to receive new ideas and feel inspired enough to take action (even when you’re afraid) simply because you want to reach that future self that you’ve fallen in love with.

Benefits of Using Future Self Journaling to Manifest Your Dreams

Self-help author and motivational speaker, Bob Proctor talks a lot about building an image in your mind of what you want to manifest. He says "If you can see it in your mind, you will hold it in your hands," essentially teaching us about the power we hold within our minds.

The fact is, the things we spend the most time focusing on are the things that will show up in our lives over and over.

This is why you see people attract the same things, good and bad into their lives. If you know someone who seems to be super lucky, pay attention to their outlook and the beliefs they carry. You might pick up some good tips to shift your mindset.

And since the same goes for people who constantly attract negativity and drama, I can’t stress how important it is to become conscious of the thoughts you’re entertaining if you really want to change your outcome.

This includes replacing limiting beliefs with positive thoughts and affirmations and becoming more centered and mindful.

Future self journaling can help you manifest your dreams by...

• Putting you in a mindset where your hopes and dreams for the future feel like they are within your reach instead of farfetched and impossible to grasp.
• Helping you make decisions based on having a clear understanding of your goals in the forefront of your mind. 
• Giving you a safe place to brainstorm ways you can go about pursuing your goals without putting limitations on yourself.
• Helping you find clarity about what you want to accomplish during confusing or transitional periods.
• Serving as a reminder that any negative circumstances you’re currently facing are only temporary, improving your mood and overall outlook on life.

This is where future self journaling and manifesting your dreams connect. 

Journal Prompts for Applying the Future Self Journaling Technique In Your Real Life

 A manifestation journal doesn't have to be anything fancy. You can do your future self journaling in any journal you like. Just put pen to paper!

Also, keep in mind that this isn't meant to be a stressful exercise. Start by getting into a relaxed state in a place where you don't have to worry about distractions.

Make sure you have an ample amount of time too, that way you can really sink into this without rushing.

Now, you're all set to dive into the journal prompts below!

Get a good understanding of where you are RIGHT NOW.

You can't paint a clear picture of where you're going if you haven't truly examined your starting point. So, start your future self journaling by taking a look at where you are in your life right now, and noting things that you want to be different in the future.

 Don't bite off more than you can chew.

When you're new to it, future self journaling is best done in small doses. Maybe focus on one section of your life at a time like career, then love life, then health.

And be sure to pinpoint a time period before you get started. You can do future self journaling for twenty years from now or twenty days from now, it's up to you.

Just don't try to focus on your entire life at once. The last thing you want is to overwhelm yourself and get stressed out about manifesting your dreams.

Visualize who you want to be and fully OWN it!

Look at the notes you took in the previous journal prompts. What do you want to change? Who do you want to be in the future? What kind of work will you be doing? What type of home are you living in? 

These are basic general questions, but I encourage you to go deeper based on your personal goals.

What changes do you need to make?

When you look at where you are versus where you want to be, you will see that there are some changes you need to make. Manifesting your dreams requires you to have the mindset and energy of a person who is already living that dream.

What do you need to do in order for that to happen? Let's say for instance, you want to write a book but your inner voice has been telling you that no one will care about your story or you aren't a good enough writer.

Take responsibility. What do you need to do in order to stop those thoughts and write that book? What is the source of those limiting beliefs? How can you push through and tell yourself the opposite?

If you need help with this one, revisit last week's blog post where I shared the shadow work journaling techniques that I used to let go of my old scarcity mindset. You can follow the same formula for any kind of limitations that come up.

Allow yourself to feel uncomfortable.

Discomfort, no matter how it shows up for you is a sign that you're on the right track. It indicates growth, expansion, and change in your life. 

Manifesting your dreams can't be all sunshine and roses all the time. We're usually met by fear, self-doubt, panic, imposter syndrome, and anxiety when we make these kinds of decisions.

All of these icky feelings are really a beautiful opportunity for you to heal and let go of stuck energies and old stories that aren't serving you. Don't just set them aside, work through them!

There is so much amazingness on the other side, I promise!

Have a good time!

Have fun! Get excited about your future self. Feel the joy, wholeness, abundance, and positivity you're wishing for.

Own it and revisit it often. Start your day by reading over what you wrote until it feels real to you.

Repeat it out loud, and play with the visualizations when you're waiting in line at the grocery store. Celebrate where you're headed! 

Getting excited about your future self will help you manifest your dreams.

 

Thank you for stopping by and supporting Journaling is Self-Care LLC!

Believe it or not, everything you see here was part of my own future self journaling practice. Now I'm grateful that I'm here helping you with manifesting your dreams!

Keep practicing and sticking with these tips. I'm already super excited to hear how they've helped you to feel empowered and confident enough to go after what you want.

And if you need more help want to go deeper into elevating your mindset to manifest your dreams, our Beginner Meditation Bundle is suitable for all levels as it includes information about meditation techniques, a week's worth of self-discovery journal prompts, and a printable adult coloring book in addition to the guided meditation MP4 download. This is a convenient and accessible way to incorporate self-care into your daily routine, allowing you to prioritize your emotional and mental well-being.

Your Friend,
Frida