“The best way to predict the future is to create it. “
Peter Drucker
I remember the first time I saw Back To The Future – one of my all time favorite movies about time travel.
I’ve often wondered ….
- What I would do if I could go back in time?
- What would I see if I went forward in time?
- Would I (eventually) make some mistake that would cost me my guitar playing skills forever – or would I go on to greatness?
With that, here are the ways I time travel into the past and forward to the future….always successfully returning to the present.
Traveling Backwards In Time
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. ”
F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Listen to old songs you used to love. Yes, especially those embarrassing guilty pleasures.
- Visit your home town. Visit your old schools and college campus… and maybe eat at the restaurants you used to visit as a child.
- Read old journals (physical, or online blogs). You’ll be amazed at how it all comes back to you.
- Smell. For me, the strangest smells will bring back strong memories. Pine cones and mangoes remind me of different parts of my childhood.
- Visit or call your family – parents – or children if they are grown. Reminiscing with my family and siblings is one of the simple joys of my life.
- Reflect, and give thanks. We may not realize how fortunate we are or count our blessings often. Take time to reflect, and travel back to where we’ve been, how we got here – and be thankful for all the things we have.
I’ve used all of the above to transport myself into the past – and return safely to the present, without altering any past events =)
If you try it, you may return to the present disoriented, invigorated, and nostalgic.
Traveling Forward In Time
- Visualize the future. Lie down, close your eyes, and imagine the future. Picture yourself, your job, your house. Visualize the milestones that will lead to that future. The clearer you visualize the future, the more likely you are to be correct (hey, nobody said time travel was perfect)
- Write down your goals. Winston Churchill once said “History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it.” We have the power today to write our own future – the more specific we are, the more likely it is to be right.
- Just relax and enjoy the ride. We’re all going forward 60 seconds at a time. Enjoy the present, learn some lessons, take pictures and write journals along the way – and travel back and enjoy it again whenever you want.
- Take Action – When you avoid taking action, it’s almost like freezing your life in time. Your goals, your dreams – everything is on hold. It’s only by taking action that you can get any closer to accomplishing what matters most to you
PS – My Motivating Time Travel Secret
Sometimes when I feel lazy or lack motivation, I remind myself of this….
Today, realize I have already traveled back in time.
When I am confronted with tough decisions, or days where I feel like not doing anything, I imagine meeting myself from the future. Sid from the future tells me this:
I am Sid from the future.
I am here to tell you that, today, you have the opportunity to change everything.
Your whole life hinges on today‘s actions.
You have two choices: you can choose to act, or continue to wait.
One path leads to greatness.
And the other path leads to a life where you will look back on today as the day where you could have spoken up,
today is the day where you could have reached out.If you do not act today, if you do not grab control of your fate today, you will look back realizing that today was the one chance you had to change everything.
Do not let this moment pass you by.
I am Sid from the future. Make the most of today.