Live better in the present, by future musing!

There's an interesting dynamic between past, present and future that's helpful for us to know - 

It goes a long way to explain why often the things we plan for are such a letdown when they actually happen!

In the study titled, “The impact of anticipating positive events on responses to stress” published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, US researchers Van Boven and Ashworth, discovered that future-musing creates more positive emotions than indulging in nostalgic trips down memory lane

On top of that, in a 2010 study on tourism and happiness, researchers discovered that holidaymakers reported a higher levels of pre-trip happiness than those who had no plans. The actual anticipation itself of the holiday had an upbeat effect on emotions. In addition, those people who went away and had a stress-free, chilled holiday, even experienced a boost in happiness on their return

Numerous research studies show that counting down to an event - any event - is as much fun as the event itself. Psychologically speaking it's the actual anticipation itself of the future event that creates the uplift in emotions. You might recognise the phenomenon of excitement build-up over festive times. Putting up the lights, getting out the decorations, planning the menus, buying and wrapping presents is often more exciting that the event itself, which can in reality be pretty stressful or even an anti-climax

As humans we are designed to be future-oriented - planning and setting intentions give us the motivation to get things done

It makes sense that taking those steps today, completing those tasks today, secures us a brighter outcome in the future. Farmers plant crops to ensure an abundant harvest, women endure labour to have a bouncing new-born baby, and top athletes train hard to be at their best on the big competition day

So, here's the thing - planning for something in the future, then taking a step towards making the future happen - can actually make us happier in the present. If you love getting outside, then plan a 10-minute walk in nature after having completed tasks or strengthen your social connections by scheduling weekend drinks with friends, or plan a call to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while for your lunch break. All of these will give you a 'microlift' - a small natural high. On a practical level, this is why at Progressfull we believe having a daily routine which includes little breaks or ‘microlifts’ is so important

We can live in the present while keeping an eye on the prize in the future. When we look forward to something we have planned or designed - either in the short or long term - then we are choosing to not wait for good things to happen to us. We are in the driving seat of our own life. It is not about living in the future, but rather living in the moment looking forward to a better future because we are taking the steps to make our own future – we are futureproofing our lives

Particularly when we look at the world of work, this is where a big opportunity lies

Because of the rapidly changing world of work - a lot of us would experience much more happiness in the present, if we took steps today to futureproof our work life - so we can anticipate and look forward to the opportunities we can create by taking the step today

When we futureproof something, we design or change it so that it will continue to be useful or successful in the future if the situation changes

With so much change around, we decided to create an Upskill to help you futureproof yourself

Our Futureproof muscles Upskill combines bite-sized videos, private podcasts, 121 Mentor sessions, bespoke Journals & purposeful self-reflection exercises for you to apply - at home, at work, in your whole life. Building Futureproof muscles focusses on your career & what it takes to win today & tomorrow in the word of work - building the mind-sets of winning well, standing out, connecting courageously & futureproofing me. You will grow your influence, your reputation & your future options, increasing your impact in your organisation & beyond

How about today at work you take some steps to futureproof your work-life and you will gain an emotional uplift as you do so!

Discover our Futureproof muscles Upskill here