Dear future self,
A few years ago I decided that I hated you. I decided that the notion of you was enough to send me reeling, from both nausea and contempt. I found that any mention of you clouded my vision with red. I hated you.
I may still. Though my hate is not unwarranted.
I spend hours of my time dreaming of imaginary scenarios of a life that does not yet, and may never, exist. It is so difficult to ground myself in the now; Every place I have been exposed to has not only demanded, but expected of me, that I plan ahead. 617Please respect copyright.PENANAXvoSODwfoZ
Plan in advance, be ready for every scenario. Make a calendar, draft a schedule-and don't you dare stray, girl. Don't dawdle, life is short, make the most of your time, impulsive is synonymous with reckless. What do you want to be when you "grow up"? What do you want to do with your life? You'd better start planning.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
I do not. 617Please respect copyright.PENANAI6LCYchuIX
I have elected to do things as I see fit in every scenario, not as I see fit for some sort of canvas that I cannot even hope to fulfill. I can decide and judge on past experiences, and hope for future ones, but I will not plan my successes. How can one plan success?
I will not spend too much time planning that I miss my chances. Why should I plan if I can do? I can act, I can work, I can live.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?617Please respect copyright.PENANAB25lPly3qp
I do not.
But I do see myself today. I see myself work-beaten and contentedly exhausted. I see myself working to be something that I love on the present day. I set long-term goals based on world views, everyday judgement, and pure unabashed ambition, though I never set a deadline. I will not conform to time slots; My goals will come when I have achieved them, whether that be ten or twenty or sixty years.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?617Please respect copyright.PENANAI29ydzmNIX
I am never going to be wholly, completely me. I am not a constant, I have no equilibrium. I shift haphazardly, I adhere to shaky morals, I am easily persuaded by a good argument. My world views are all but day-to-day decisions that I make up on the go as I collect information. I never intend to stop collecting information.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?617Please respect copyright.PENANAjNeCRmVLui
I've started to set my alarm for 4:30 AM everyday. I want to get the most I can, I want to do as much as possible. Honestly, I couldn't give a genuine reason. I love being awake before the rest of the world, I love to know that I got a head-start for today, so I can move tomorrow up to today and the day after tomorrow up to tomorrow. I love to compact myself into time; I cannot stand to schedule my work. 617Please respect copyright.PENANAZO3p5BFgm5
Where do you see yourself in ten years?617Please respect copyright.PENANAAAYW4rhRtJ
On an average, 150,000 people die every day. I will not give my efforts to pragmatism in order to work towards a day that may never even come. 617Please respect copyright.PENANADIp8mDq3oG
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
If I am to work towards a day, rather than a goal-a step-, what am I to do when that day comes?
Where do you see yourself in ten years?617Please respect copyright.PENANAjihM7NHTCY
How can I work towards a day; How can I plan for eventual stagnation? I fear a stagnant life more than I fear the loss of one. There is no sense in having a life if you do nothing with it. I cannot be satisfied with stagnation. There is not end goal, there are only stepping stones. 617Please respect copyright.PENANA8kduswsYMy
Where do you see yourself in ten years?617Please respect copyright.PENANAp1DBLhqixv
Future self, I hated you years ago because I feared that I would not become anything and everything that I planned so dearly for. I waited anxiously for a purpose, a goal to work towards. I toiled and stressed over the complications that set me back, I saw extra time taken on my goals as time lost. 617Please respect copyright.PENANAUqIYsV9l1F
I believed that a deadline was more important than a change. I believed that I was all or nothing, and that if I hadn't had myself sorted out by a certain date then I would never have anything sorted out. And, I of course believed that there was no chance of redemption after a failed goal. I believed that since I could no go back to fix my mistakes, that there was no way for me to succeed in the future.
I saw time spent fixing past mistakes as time wasted. I saw time spent methodically working towards an eventual failure meant that the entire past of my life meant nothing.
Three years ago I tried to kill myself.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?617Please respect copyright.PENANADq6QTNvHth
Now, future me, I hate you for different reasons. Nothing against you, I'm sure you're alright. I hate the idea of you, the things people expect of you. I hate the way you press me for answers and the way you expect me to do things for you. 617Please respect copyright.PENANAL3OW8Xyfeh
I will never do things for the future. I will refute the Machiavellian impulse and work to do what I believe is right and feasible for each day. I will work day by day.
And I'm a whole lot fucking happier than I was when I was working for you.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?617Please respect copyright.PENANA2ptWOcYtTE
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Not only do I adamantly refuse to answer that question, I also could not do so if I wanted to. 617Please respect copyright.PENANA4LWWXCCIuS
What do you want to do with your life?617Please respect copyright.PENANAe1lIGLEhtj
I want to do good today. 617Please respect copyright.PENANArfCtzjShh0