Do This For Your Future Self

4 snips

Apr 26, 2019

Derek Sivers shares how journaling transformed his life, emphasizing the power of reflecting on daily experiences. He believes that writing about feelings and thoughts helps future decisions by providing a clear picture of past emotions. This practice connects to Stoic philosophy, where self-awareness is key to personal growth. Sivers suggests that our future selves will appreciate this insight into our current lives, making us better decision-makers. It's an invitation to look back and learn from our daily journeys.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Derek Sivers' Journaling Habit

Derek Sivers, a multifaceted artist and entrepreneur, has kept a journaling habit for over 20 years.
He jots down a few sentences nightly, recapping his day, feelings, and thoughts.

ADVICE

Journal for Your Future Self

Record daily experiences for your future self.
Journaling helps make better decisions by providing an accurate record of your past feelings and actions.

INSIGHT

Reflecting on the Past

Reflecting on past experiences is crucial for self-improvement and avoiding negative patterns.
Seneca highlighted this, noting that our future plans are rooted in our past.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

The musician, producer, circus performer, entrepreneur, TED speaker, and author, Derek Sivers, recently wrote an article that began, “You know those people whose lives are transformed by meditation or yoga or something like that? For me, it’s writing in my diary and journals. It’s made all the difference in the world for my learning, reflecting, and peace of mind.”

He’s kept a journaling habit for over 20 years. Every night, he takes just a couple minutes to jot down a few sentences to recap his day, how he felt, and thoughts he had. What’s so transformational about that? As Sivers explains:

“We so often make big decisions in life based on predictions of how we think we’ll feel in the future, or what we’ll want. Your past self is your best indicator of how you actually felt in similar situations. So it helps to have an accurate picture of your past.

You can’t trust distant memories, but you can trust your daily diary. It’s the best indicator to your future self (and maybe descendants) of what was really going on in your life at this time.

If you’re feeling you don’t have the time or it’s not interesting enough, remember: You’re doing this for your future self. Future you will want to look back at this time in your life, and find out what you were actually doing, day-to-day, and how you really felt back then. It will help you make better decisions.”

Compare that to Seneca:

“I will keep constant watch over myself and—most usefully—will put each day up for review. For this is what makes us evil—that none of us looks back upon our own lives. We reflect upon only that which we are about to do. And yet our plans for the future descend from the past.”

How often do you consult your past self to make decisions? Could you do so even if you wanted to? Or have most days, most experiences, most feelings, most thoughts vanished from memory? Journaling is a memory bank with unlimited storage. It’s an archive, a reference manual, an unmatched tool for learning from today to inform tomorrow. That’s why journaling is so transformational. If you still haven’t, start journaling today. Start compiling your archive.

Do it for your future self.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.