Whenever you create a mental “note to self”, take a moment to think about who is dictating the note – and who will be absorbing the wisdom.
Is it your “present” self that is offering a mental note to your future self?
Or is it your now “future” self circling back to show your younger self how things panned out?
Could it be your “younger” self reminding you of a promise you made decades ago, but one you often break?
Our “notes to self” are powerful change agents, yet we often treat them like casual post-it-notes. While in the throes of something going very right or very wrong, we make a mental note. How often do they vanish as if we’d written them in invisible ink on a post it note that has lost its sticking power?
Our “notes to self” are just another way that we talk to ourselves. When we reframe our inner voice as our life coach, we can see that each “note to self” is a noteworthy take-away from something we are discovering about ourselves.
These take-aways are cliff notes.
Tap into the power of all the note-taking you are doing as you go through the coming week. To make this fun experiment even more fascinating — make the distinction about which part of you is dictating the mental note – and which part of you is the recipient of such sage advice.
It’s your own version of a Christmas Carol — is it your past, present or future self paying you a visit? Revealing something you missed, could re-think in real time, or might reflect on later?
When a mental note comes to us from a present experience, we are cataloging data that will serve us well tomorrow or the next day. It might help us avoid a pitfall in the future; maybe help us build a good system rather than relying on willpower. Or it might be a very tangible feeling that we like and want more of; it becomes a reinforcement for making choices that feel right for us (day in and day out).
When we offer a mental note to our younger self, it serves as an invaluable stepping stone for personal growth. It’s a reminder of just how far we’ve come. Mental notes to our younger self help us edit and rewrite old narratives that limit our potential.
Have you listened with keen interest when someone you regard as a powerful role model is asked: “What would you tell your younger self?” So often, you can see in their body language and facial expressions a warm tenderness as they imagine the awkward teenager they once were, full of insecurities and uncertainty. It is with loving compassion and a sense of real pride that they “tell their younger self” — “You will be okay. You will be better than okay, actually. You will surprise yourself in astounding ways! Just trust yourself.”
Mental notes to our younger self are some of the most profound stepping stones for our future growth. They remind us of hidden potential, of our grit and resilience. Rewriting our stories breaks us free from negative self talk. The big pivot is that we can find ourselves sifting through our past and repurposing with vigor what we have learned along the way.
While we are rummaging around in our past, we might even discover some mental notes to self scribbled in crayon and scrawled in haste. Those notes are mini treasure troves – hidden clues from childhood and adolescence; the essence of who we were and what really mattered to us. Can you sit with those notes and offer some gratitude to your younger self for what they offer to you now? Can you pull a thread from your youth that might spark a new direction for you today?
Our “notes to self” are very rich data — an historical archive, a crystal ball and a trail map — all rolled into one. I called them cliff notes for a reason. Notes to self are trail markers to help us deepen our learning from life lessons we often repeat. They remind us to avoid pitfalls and dead-ends; to look before we leap.
We can get much more intentional and self aware when we use our mental notes as the footnotes they truly are. Our mental notes to self are stepping stones to where we want to go, and reminders of just how far we’ve come.
