Matthew McConaughey's Secret To Become Your Future Self (7 Steps) | Dr. Benjamin Hardy

Seven Science-Based Steps for Imagining and Becoming Your Desired Future Self

In this video, Dr. Benjamin Hardy shares seven science-based steps for imagining and becoming your desired future self. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing that you are not the same person as your former self and explains how to use your future self as a source of inspiration.

Recognize That You're Not the Same Person as Your Former Self

• Recognize that you're different from your former self.

• Appreciate the difference between you and your former self.

• Recognize what you used to say yes to that you now would no longer justify or tolerate.

• Look back on some of the big wins you've had over the last 90 days and realize how much you've grown even in the last 90 days.

Imagine Your Future Self

• Use visualization techniques to imagine your future self.

• Write down a detailed description of who you want to become in three years.

• Create an environment that supports your desired future self.

Set Goals Based on Who You Want to Become

• Set goals based on who you want to become, not just what you want to achieve.

• Break down long-term goals into smaller, achievable steps.

Develop Habits That Support Your Desired Future Self

• Develop habits that support your desired future self.

• Focus on building identity-based habits.

• Use implementation intentions to make it easier to stick to your habits.

Surround Yourself With People Who Support Your Desired Future Self

• Surround yourself with people who support your desired future self.

• Seek out mentors and role models who have achieved what you want to achieve.

Embrace Discomfort and Failure

• Embrace discomfort and failure as opportunities for growth.

• Learn from your mistakes and use them as feedback to improve.

Take Action Toward Your Desired Future Self

• Take action toward your desired future self, even if it's just a small step.

• Use the power of momentum to build on small successes and keep moving forward.

Overall, Dr. Hardy emphasizes the importance of recognizing that you are not the same person as your former self, imagining your future self, setting goals based on who you want to become, developing habits that support your desired future self, surrounding yourself with people who support your desired future self, embracing discomfort and failure, and taking action toward your desired future self. By following these science-based steps, you can begin making huge leaps towards becoming the person you want to be in the future.

Understanding Your Future Self

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of understanding your future self and how it can help you make better decisions.

Imagining Your Future Self

• Longitudinal research in psychology shows that people change quite a bit over time.

• You should begin imagining who your future self is because they will be a different person with different goals, interests, and perspectives.

• Spend time thinking about who your future self is three to five years from now and what their attributes and characteristics are.

Telling Everyone About Your Future Self

• Most people's identity is based on the past rather than their future goals.

• When you begin telling people about your future self rather than your past, your behavior will start being driven by your future rather than being driven by your past.

• Sharing your goals with others helps you believe in them more and feel more compelled to act accordingly. It also sets up healthier expectations for yourself.

Conclusion

• The concept of identity is important because it drives our behavior. By focusing on our future selves and sharing our goals with others, we can create a stronger sense of identity that aligns with our desired outcomes.

Sharing Your Vision with Others

In this section, the speaker discusses the benefits of sharing your vision of who you want to be with others. By doing so, you can receive unexpected help and support in achieving your goals.

Unexpected Support

• Sharing your vision with others can lead to unexpected help and support in achieving your goals.

• Leadership involves sharing a vision and getting support to achieve that vision.

Aligning Behavior with Future Self

• Defining your future self and sharing it with others can help align your behavior towards becoming that person.

• Having a clear outcome is important because every human action is driven by an end goal.

Keystone Goals

In this section, the speaker explains what keystone goals are and how they can create enormous change in all areas of life.

Definition of Keystone Goals

• A keystone goal is one measurable outcome that, if achieved, would allow you to become your future self.

• Keystone habits are changes made in life that ripple into other areas of life creating positive change.

Importance of Clear Outcome

• Having a clear outcome is important because it helps find effective means for motivation.

• Defining one outcome creates one path which leads to better motivation than having multiple outcomes leading to competing paths.

Reverse Engineering Process

• Once you have defined a clear goal, reverse engineer a process by finding out what's required to achieve it and base present decisions on that information.

• Building confidence over time will help maintain open motivation while constantly adjusting the path towards achieving the goal.

Clarify Your Goals

In this section, the speaker discusses how people fail to achieve big goals because they have too many and haven't clarified the one outcome that would make everything else possible.

Steps to Clarify Your Goals

• Visualize and journal daily about your future self.

• According to research on mental rehearsal, once we immerse ourselves in a scene, changes begin to take place in our brain. Therefore, each time we do this, we're laying down new neurological tracts in the present moment that literally change our brain to look like the brain of our future.

• Emotions are how you as a person change your subconscious which is kind of you at the core level is driven by emotions. So when you grab your smartphone out of addiction it's because your body has literally become addicted to the emotion of dopamine.

• Follow Napoleon Hill's six steps to becoming wealthy:

• Fix in your mind if the exact amount of money you desire

• Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire

• Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money

• Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once whether you are ready or not to put this plan into action

• Write a clear and concise statement of the amount of money you intend to acquire name the time limit for its acquisition state what you intend to give in return for the money and describe clearly the plan through which you will intend to accumulate it

• Read your written statement aloud twice daily once just before retiring at night and then once after arising in the morning as you read see and feel and believe yourself already in possession of the money.

Deliberate Practice

In this section, the speaker discusses the concept of deliberate practice and how it relates to having a clear future self.

Deliberate Practice

• Deliberate practice is the idea in psychology of becoming an expert in something. It's what Malcolm Gladwell called the ten thousand hour rule.

• In order to engage in deliberate practice, you need a clear future self with a definite outcome that you're working towards.

The Importance of Deliberate Practice

In this section, the speaker emphasizes the importance of deliberate practice in achieving one's future self.

Characteristics of Deliberate Practice

• Deliberate practice should be difficult and stretch you.

• It is important to remove contradictions between your current self and your future self.

• Just because something worked in the past doesn't mean it will work in the future.

• Identify things in your life that contradict your future self and remove them.

Spending Time on Important Things

• Spend time on important things that are not urgent to create your future self.

• Removing contradictions will make you feel lighter and more committed to your future self.

• Spend 60 to 90 minutes every morning working towards your future self while in a flow state.

• Your brain is primed for imagination, decision making, creativity, and being in a flow state first thing in the morning.

Matrix for Time Management

• Most people spend their time on urgent things when they wake up, which stops them from imagining their future selves.

• Spend at least 60 to 90 minutes before busyness doing important but not urgent tasks that reflect your future self.

Upgrading Your Subconscious

• Repetition is key to upgrading your subconscious.

• Wake up every morning and spend time imagining and taking action towards becoming your future self.

Clarifying Your Keystone Goal

In this section, the speaker emphasizes the importance of realizing that your future self is a different person than your current self and clarifying your keystone goal to work towards that future self.

Working Towards Your Future Self

• Realize that your future self is a different person than your current self.

• Start clarifying your keystone goal to work towards that future self.

• Do daily journaling to keep track of progress towards the keystone goal.

• Take 60 to 90 minutes a day in flow to work towards that future self before starting the business of the day.