Future Self

After a layoff, the past can feel magnetic.
You replay every decision, every meeting, every “what if.” You scroll job boards, compare titles, rework your résumé—trying to recreate what you’ve lost.

It’s understandable. The past is known territory.
But the future? That’s the unknown.
And when you’ve been laid off, the unknown feels like quicksand.
It asks you to trust your instincts and imagine what could be—not just what’s been.

One of the most powerful tools I share with clients in this season is a Future Self Visualization. It’s a simple and profound way to experience what's possible when everything feels uncertain.

The visualization isn't a prescription, it's an opening to new way of perceiving the future.

It’s time to envision your future!

We often focus more on the past because we know it intimately. We know how things have turned out. It’s safe.

The future is a different animal. To focus on the future, we have to embrace the unknown and trust our instincts. It can be scary. It can also be empowering, liberating and exciting!

The Future Self Visualization is a powerful, creative way to focus on your future.

Rather than talking about what the future holds, this practice allows you to experience a deeper, more vivid sense of what’s emerging in your life.

Work with your Future Self to:

  • clarify where you are going

  • inspire new action

  • open up your field of possibility

If you’ve never done a visualization exercise before, it may feel a bit awkward.

Remember, the goal is to get out of your head for a short time and tap into a deeper knowing. Open up to the process. If it feels unnatural, take a break and return to it later.

To do the visualization, make sure you have uninterrupted time and private space. Get comfortable and see where it takes you. The visualization itself lasts about 6 minutes.

After completing the exercise, please take all the time you want to answer the following questions.

  • What stood out for you in that experience?

  • What did you ask your Future Self? What answers did you receive?

  • What parts of you are already your Future Self?

  • How can you move towards your Future Self?

  • In what ways is your vision now clearer?

  • What are three ways you can bring your Future Self into your current life?

Who Am I? After a Layoff

I was made VP of HR at 29.

My dad saw it as proof he’d achieved the American Dream.

My mom told every relative in India.

My aunties sent flowers.

My colleagues gave me hugs, gifts, and caramels. (I love caramels.)

I soaked up the validation and rode that title for a full 12 months—before I was laid off.

As HR VP, I had to lay off myself along with the whole company.

It was surreal. I worked myself into the ER with dehydration from holding everyone else’s stress.

A week later, I was lost.

No title. No email. No commute.

Just silence.

So I started journaling, and one question came to me:

Who am I without my title?

At first, nothing. Just panic and shame.

But eventually, answers began to surface.

I remembered what others had told me over the years:

That I’m a leveler—someone who distills complexity down to essential truths.

That I deliver bad news with compassion.

That I’m a quick study.

That I trust my intuition and act accordingly.

Those reminders helped me rebuild a sense of self that wasn’t tied to a business card.

If you’ve recently lost your title, your company, or your sense of who you are — Start with this question.

Let it sit.

Eventually, it will start to answer you back.