The Truth About Becoming Your Future Self (Even If You’re Tired, Scared, or Stuck)

Why small steps in the right direction matter more than motivation.

The Andaman Sea - Phuket, Thailand

I’m really good at taking action, when it comes to business.

I’ve launched new ventures after a failed one. Posted videos when I’ve felt like a fraud. Sold everything I owned and jumped on a plane to chase freedom with a toddler under one arm and zero backup plan. I’ve built portable income streams from apartments in Cyprus, cafes in Thailand, and hotel rooms with barely a working Wi-Fi signal. I can work through imposter syndrome like a pro. I can show up even when I’m nervous, unsure, or slightly convinced the whole thing is going to flop.

But ask me to take action on the thing that really matters for a nomad life in my 50s. My fitness, my aching knees, my strength for hauling a 9kg backpack through airports and up stone steps, and suddenly I’m all out of momentum.

• It’s too hot.

• It’s too cold.

• It’s not the right time.

• I don’t feel like it.

• I’ll start again Monday.

Sound familiar?

We all have our thing. The area where emotions overrule action, where stories win over strategy, and where future-you quietly fades into the background while present-you goes looking for snacks and a new distraction.

And for many 50+ nomads-in-waiting, that “thing” is the same. We’re planning the dream life without preparing ourselves to actually live it.

That’s why becoming your future self isn’t about “motivation” or “visualising the dream life.”

It’s about committing to action. Especially the boring, unsexy kind, even when you’re tired, doubtful, or completely over it.

Let me tell you how I do it (when I’m not sabotaging myself with wine and sodas).

The One-Year Vision, One-Month Plan Method

Every January (or sometimes March, let’s be honest), I sit down and write a vision for “me next year.” The version of me who’s fit enough to climb 350 monastery steps, strong enough to lug a backpack through three connecting flights, and confident enough to keep growing my business while on the move.

I get specific.

• Where I’m living (or travelling).

• What I want to feel like after a day of exploring.

• How much portable income I’m bringing in each month.

• What my days look like.

• What I’m proud of achieving on the road.

Then I don’t create a detailed 12-month execution plan (I’ve learned that just leads to a pile of half-finished Trello boards and an existential crisis).

Instead, I plan just one month ahead. That’s it.

One or two clear goals. Small enough to feel doable. Big enough to create momentum.

Because momentum is the magic. It’s what turns your future self from a far-off travel fantasy into the you who’s living it, right now.

The Real Reason We Don’t Become That Version of Ourselves

Let’s not pretend it’s a time issue. It rarely is.

We procrastinate because emotions hijack logic.

• You could start walking every morning, but your knees ache.

• You could publish that side hustle idea, but you feel like an imposter.

• You could make that video, but you’re suddenly convinced your face is 97% neck.

The excuses feel valid. And sometimes, they are. But most of the time, it’s just your brain trying to keep you safe and comfy, even if it means staying stuck.

And we all do it in different ways.

I can push through fear in business, but get completely derailed when it comes to moving my body. For others, it’s the opposite. They’ll train for an Ironman but freeze at the thought of launching a digital product.

So if you’re stuck, the first thing to ask isn’t “Why am I like this?”

It’s: “Where am I like this?”

Then adjust your goals accordingly.

Set Small Goals in the Hard Areas, Big Goals in the Easier Ones

This is one of the most helpful shifts I’ve made.

I set tiny goals in the area I find emotionally challenging (fitness, in my case).

• Walk every day for 10 minutes.

• Swim three times this week.

• Stretch while my coffee brews.

(Because being a nomad in your 50s isn’t just about having the funds to travel, it’s being able to enjoy it once you get there.)

Then in the areas where I already feel more confident (business, creativity, portable income), I let myself dream bigger.

• A new product launch.

• A podcast experiment.

• A monthly income target.

• A workshop.

That way, I’m building momentum in both directions. Pushing my comfort zone slowly where it needs nurturing, and going bold where I’ve already got the grit.

Future You Is Built in the Imperfect Progress

Most people think becoming your future self is some kind of glow-up montage. You set the goals, find your mojo, show up like a boss, and everything aligns.

But the truth is, it’s built in the chaos.

It’s built in the moment you choose not to quit. Even though you’ve messed up your food plan again, or you’re wondering if anyone cares about your writing, or you’ve launched something and heard crickets.

It’s built when you don’t have the energy, but you take the next step anyway.

It’s not perfect. It’s not Instagram-worthy. But inch by inch, it’s the only way you get there.

So If You’re Wondering Where to Begin…

Here’s the simplest framework I can offer. What I call the MVP of Becoming You:

• M – Make a clear one-year vision of who you want to be

• V – Visualise that version of you living the life you want, not just planning it.

• P – Plan one month at a time, and give yourself goals you can actually complete (and therefore create momentum)

And then?

Manage the moments.

• The moments when it’s easier not to.

• When you feel too tired to work on your side hustle.

• When your brain tells you it’s too late, too hard, too embarrassing.

It’s in those moments the magic happens. Not in the big breakthroughs, but in the tiny wins you choose, over and over.

Over To You..

I’m writing this while trying to manage those very same moments. Choosing to write this post instead of going to the gym.

But I know deep inside, it’s not this post that’s going to get me to the top of Machu Picchu.

Which is why I’ll close this laptop soon and get moving. Not because I feel like it, but because momentum doesn’t happen any other way.

You don’t have to do everything right.

You just have to do something today that gets you closer to your future self, even if it’s just publishing the post or going for that 10-minute walk.

You’ve got this.

Now go become you.

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