As part of the last blog we looked at simple strategies to direct your attention to your strengths, to what is possible and the positive things in your life. Taking stock of your life, thinking about the past, thinking about the present and your future was one of the strategies mentioned. When you go through this exercise, it is a good idea to concentrate on the strengths you think you had in the past and the strengths you have right now. Also focus on what you can do to use those going forward. Today, we are looking at a related strategy that might be helpful in (re)focusing your life: Back-casting.
The idea of back-casting might sound a little strange at first. Most of what you might see in the media is focused on predicting what might happen next. What is the weather going to be like? Where is the economy headed? What will the next fashion trends be? The common idea is that, based on the current state and trends, projections are made. Back-casting imagines a desirable future and works backwards to identify steps to achieve it. From policy research, it is known that back-casting rather than, or in addition to, forecasting is very useful. This is particularly the case when trends are a problem in themselves. Think about sustainability, for example. Projecting the historical trends such as increases in CO2 in our environment paints a pretty bleak picture. This can obscure what else might be possible. Enter back-casting and the future scenario of sustainability. A 50% reduction on fossil fuel usage might be a target to envision toward sustainability. Back-casting makes actions that can be taken toward these targets logical.
Similarly back-casting can be a useful exercise when it comes to your health and wellbeing. The trends are usually not in our favour. We are all getting older, our environment cues us to sit rather than to move, and the cost of real food is ever increasing. Our health is one of those wicked problems in the face of problematic trends. Enter back-casting and think about what you want your future to look like as a scenario. What are some specific things you want to be able to do 10, 20 or 30 years from now? Think about the state of your body and brain you need to be in to be able to do and enjoy those things. Then work backwards from there and ask yourself what you need to do today to make that your future reality.
Two examples: You want to be able to travel to a destination you have not visited. What will be the demands on your body and brain in that scenario? A long haul flight, transporting luggage, finding your way in an unfamiliar environment – perhaps in a language you don’t know. For this, you will need to have strength and endurance for different terrains to where you are now, adaptability in terms of your body for different temperatures, and levels of humidity, for example. The ability to think on your feet, communicate with gestures perhaps, to learn quickly and so on.
Similarly, you can think of everyday future scenarios. I, for one thing, want to learn to surf and grow most of my own food. For this, I need to still be nimble enough to get up on a board, have good balance and keep my knees healthy. I need to have strong legs and a strong back to be able to squat when gardening and keep my fitness at a level that I can swim/paddle back if I get drawn out further in the sea than anticipated. My targets along the way then need to be to regularly do strength training (tick) and to walk and run to keep the legs strong (tick). I should also regularly do flexibility training, and anybody who knows me can confirm that that is a work in progress.
So, perhaps this afternoon or evening, have a think about what you want to be able to do in 10 years and get working on a plan. Happy back-casting!
If you are keen to learn more about how your focus, or where and how you pay attention, impacts on your movement follow me or subscribe to the blogpost. To work with me one-on-one to apply some of these principles to your own life and movement, message me for a free call. I look forward to hearing from you.
References (for the extra keen)
Attia (2023)
Duke (2018)
Nidumolu et al. (2009)
Robinson (1982)
Robinson (2003)