3 years ago, I moved to Chicago for a summer to complete an internship. If you haven’t read that blog post, it’s linked here.
It was my first time moving and living away from home, I had never been so far away from my family and it was my first professional job in engineering. I was actually getting paid to code. Imagine my nerves walking in on the first day!
When I think back on that time of my life, I am so thankful for how brave I was. I’m not sure what gave me the confidence to move across the country and walk into the corporate world but I’m so thankful that I did. There comes a time in your life when your future self will thank you. Recently, I’ve been experiencing that and I also use it as motivation to continue down this path every single day.
This week, I took a midday break from work and drove to pilates in my new car. All I could think about was how good life was but mostly… how did I get here? I then started to think about myself in college, in Chicago, in Orlando, trying to survive my Facebook internship and so much more.
I really did this. This was my present self thanking my past self. The times of my life when I felt the most lost and confused turned out to be the most important and impactful moments of my life (so far).
When I failed my first data structures exam and my professor told me I wasn’t cut out for computer science, I was shattered. He told me to drop the class because there was no way I would pass it. In that moment, I felt like I didn’t have what it takes but little did I know that moment defined the course of my future. I could’ve switched majors, but I would be somewhere else right now. Instead, I continued in his class and took his words as a challenge. That moment is what got me to where I am today… driving myself to pilates, midday, in my new car. People can advise you as much as they want but at the end of the day, you decide what your future will look like. No one else.
Do it for your future self
I’m starting to believe that’s such a fantastic way to view our life choices. What are you doing today that your future self will thank you for? The toughest days are the most important ones.
Bump in the road? Continue for your future self.
But the most important thing when hitting a bump in the road is that we never stay stuck for too long. Because if we do, we become comfortable and the scariest place to be is the same place as last year.
The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine
Mike Murdock
How can I do it for my future self if I don’t know who that is?
It’s kind of like reverse engineering. You can’t effectively grow without a sense of direction. You need to imagine who you want to be and then reverse-engineer the process to reaching that goal. Put simply, your behavior in the present is largely shaped by your view of your own future. If your future is clear, exciting, and something you believe you can create, then your behavior in the present will reflect that.
With that being said:
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I’m still working towards my future self, every day. Being a woman in engineering is not easy. Being a minority in a team is not easy. Sometimes I ask myself if I’m in the right industry. I ask myself if I should’ve been a writer instead. But I keep going because my future self isn’t a writer. She’s the CEO of her own company and we are not stoping until we get there. Because I know that one day, when I’m CEO, I will look back and thank myself for what I’m doing right now. Not giving up. Making moves and pushing through it.
If you could say anything to your past self. What would it be?
Dear Paola,
Thank you. You did amazing.
XO, Your Future Self
