Coaching practices for Best Possible Self Writing

Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For Best Possible Self Writing, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.

Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?

• I feel directionless and flat about the future
• The person I want to become still feels like a stranger I’m imagining, not someone I actually am yet
• I’m still grinding toward a version of "successful me" I dreamed up years ago, and it’s stopped lighting me up
• When I write to myself the only voice that shows up is the harsh one, judging every line
• In a hard moment the critic talks so fast and so loud that any kinder thought never gets to finish

Practices that may help

1. Write about your best possible future self
   Spend 15-20 minutes writing in detail about your life as it would look if everything went as well as it realistically could.
   Expressive Writing (Pennebaker)
2. Journal as the person you are becoming, not the person you have been
   Writing from your desired identity’s perspective, even tentatively, strengthens its psychological availability.
   Identity Priming, Made Practical
3. Update and revise possible selves over time
   Revisit and rewrite your possible selves at least twice a year — the self you need to become changes as you grow.
   Possible Selves, Made Practical
4. Write from the voice of an unconditionally kind friend
   Adopt the perspective of someone who loves you completely and sees your situation clearly.
   The Self-Compassion Letter, Made Practical
5. Compassionate letter to yourself
   Write to yourself from the voice of an unconditionally kind, wise friend.
   Self-Compassion, Made Practical
6. Write a best-possible-life narrative
   Write a detailed story of your life in 10 years if everything went as well as it possibly could.
   The Life Crafting Intervention: Scripting Your Future Self
7. Write a letter from your future self
   Have your 80-year-old self write back about the decision you’re facing now.
   The Regret-Minimization Framework
8. Journal to your future self weekly
   Writing regularly to a named future self builds the relationship and makes future wellbeing feel personal.
   Future Self Continuity, Made Practical
9. Write to yourself about your struggles as you would write to a close friend
   When you are struggling, write a paragraph to yourself from the perspective of a compassionate, wise friend who knows your situation.
   Expressive Writing (Pennebaker)
10. Write letters for others to build compassion fluency
    Practice the compassionate letter format for a struggling friend first to warm up the voice.
    The Self-Compassion Letter, Made Practical

Describe your situation in your own words to search the complete practice library.