The best possible selves diary is a type of journaling that involves visualizing a future for yourself that you would be happy to call yours. PositivePsychology.com has an info sheet called “The Best Possible Self” that explains that it involves envisioning yourself in an imaginary future where everything has turned out in the most optimal way possible. The type of thinking may be complex for most, but the moment you use your creativity to create this future, the moment you feel incredibly better. The same info sheet shows that the BPS exercise increases people’s mood and well-being and leads to more optimistic thoughts. The ability to change your mindset in about fifteen to thirty minutes is why I think it is necessary to discuss this exercise.
The info sheet and Berkley’s article “Best Possible Self” state that to begin, you need a place to write this on a piece of paper/diary or type it on a device. Then you will set a timer for ten to fifteen minutes to begin. In this exercise, think about your best possible future self. Ask yourself what the best possible future you can imagine for yourself right now is. Consider all of the relevant areas in your life when you are writing things down. This could range from relationships, careers, and things you enjoy. Think about what would have to happen for you to achieve these goals. Imagine that you have achieved anything you could dream and explain how you would see your life in five, ten, or twenty years. Try to write for the entire period and write down anything that comes to mind. I have provided things for you to think about when writing this down, but you are not restrained in any way. Write as much as you can and ignore spelling or grammatical errors.
The info sheet states that it is essential to reflect on your feelings following the initial exercise. The first question of reflection is, what effects did this exercise have on you? When I performed this exercise, I became hopeful and invigorated. I felt empowered to achieve my goals and that no barrier would ever be able to stop me. The second question is, how did this exercise affect you emotionally? Following the exercise, I felt happy and confident in my ability to achieve these goals. I felt pleased with the acknowledgment that I could be a success and make my friends and family proud. The third question is, how did this exercise affect your current self-image? This image improved my self-image because it made me more confident. After all, now that I have some plan, I can focus on achieving my dream future. I was also prideful in my education, motivation, and current efforts to get me close to what I want to accomplish. The fourth question is, did this exercise motivate or inspire you? To me, I think the exercise made me more aware of what I wanted for the future. This awareness ensured I felt more motivated. The fifth question is, how did this exercise affect you overall. I believe I had explained this one throughout the other questions, but I felt amazing following this exercise. So many people do not know what they want to do at my age, so I felt empowered to know what I wanted with relationships, my career, hobbies, etc. The final question is, how did this exercise open you to possibilities. Writing uncensored thoughts on a diary made me more open to letting my imagination thrive instead of sticking to one set plan. Instead of believing that there is no way to achieve my dreams, I could explore possible ways on paper that would help me stick to those dreams.
My experiences have shown that this exercise is valuable as it made me aware of how passionate I am for the future. To succeed in the future, I need to enjoy myself and keep a balance with productivity, curiosity for more knowledge, and treasured relationships with friends and family. Following the exercise, I felt more optimistic and have this bright image that is my future. Each day, I strive to achieve this golden future. The hope that one day everything would come together motivates me to strive towards that image or even something better than that. This exercise lets you take advantage of visualization, imagination, and creativity. Instead of agonizing over something that could be better, it helps you narrow your focus to achieve your goals. However, I want to emphasize that you should not always be in the future. Be happy with your situation now, but understand that there is always room for improvement. Working towards improving myself is something I thoroughly enjoy, which is why this exercise was insightful for me.
