This Zoom-Out involves stepping back in time and looking forward to the present moment, your current situation, and considering how your past self would see this and what they would say to you. You could also consider this as being in the Self Dimension. It’s up to you how far back in time you go. You may go back to a point in your life that was a milestone, e.g. when leaving school; starting your first job; etc. Of course, your age will influence how much personal history you have.
IN ACTION: Past Self Zoom-Out
- Pick a time in the past – a much younger self
- Remember what your life was like back then
- Imaging seeing yourself as you are now
- How would your past self see your current self and situation?
- What would you past self say to your current self?
- Reflect on this past self perspective and take it onboard
One tendency of human nature is to set goals and then once we have achieved them, we very quickly take the achievement for granted (Hedonic Treadmill). The Past Self Zoom-Out can help us to really appreciate how far we have come and what we have achieved, which is especially useful when we may be feeling down or beating ourselves up about a perceived failure. It can also help us to see the opportunities we have created for ourselves, many of which may be out of sight but there if we look.