I found this

in the outbox of my old community college email from 2007. It was an assignment called “Possible Selves” that I emailed to my Psych professor. I think it would be good to do an updated one next year!

1. Next year, I expect to be accepted into the Physical Therapy Assistant program at MC Takoma Park or another college. I hope that my hard work will pay off by getting a raise at my part-time job, or that I find a less stressful job with equal or better pay. I also hope that I lead a more active and healthy lifestyle which will boost my confidence and energy.
2. Next year, I am afraid that I will not be accepted into any PTA programs and that I will not even have a 2 year associate’s degree finished. I am afraid that I will be stuck at the same job, and working more hours than I want to because of a shortage in staff.
3. Next year, I want to avoid becoming too comfortable with where I am in school and work. I also want to avoid becoming stagnant with my relationship. I want to avoid gaining more weight and feeling lazy.

• In five years, I hope that I would have worked in my field for a couple years. I hope that I would have some savings to phase into a master’s or DPT degree. I hope that I will be engaged to my current boyfriend. I hope that I leave my parents’ house and am not struggling financially. I hope that I have a reliable car in my name and that I have a more active lifestyle.
• In five years, I’m afraid that I won’t be earning enough to make ends meet. I’m afraid that I will have to ask my parents for help. I’m afraid that I won’t have a full-time job and will have an expensive health problem with no adequate health insurance. I’m afraid that I won’t like the field I chose, or that I settled for a job that I don’t like. I’m afraid that I won’t have free time to travel and do things I enjoy. I’m also afraid that people will think I’m unsuccessful.
• In five years, I want to avoid becoming anti-social because I might be bogged down with work or med. school. I want to avoid forgetting about my creative side and focusing only on work.
• Currently, my motivation to get good grades is to raise my GPA high enough to be accepted into the PTA program. The prospect of having all of my pre-requisites and general classes done, and focusing on my PTA courses makes me want to work harder towards my goal. The thought of not getting accepted gives me anxiety and makes me feel scared of what I will do instead. Right now, my decision to save money as much as I can is to prepare for quitting my job when I get into the program. I think that my goals are realistic and can lead me further into my education and career.
• I think I should stop worrying so much about not getting into the program. Even if I don’t, I will finish my AA and will continue my education no matter what. I should just focus on doing the best I can now.
• My possible selves have changed over the years. I used to picture myself doing something much more creative like design or writing a novel. Then I thought I would be a journalist or work in international relations. Finally, I decided to go into physical therapy, because I wanted to be sure I had a job after paying for tuition, and going through college. I wanted a job that was rewarding, had a good salary, involved helping others, and wasn’t too fast-paced and stressful. I think I always thought of my possible selves before this assignment, and it’s good to re-evaluate what your possible selves are. In a way, having a fear of what you could become is healthy because it keeps your goals in check and forces you to work towards them.