How to Be Your Best Possible Self For Relationships

Research suggests that building optimism about the future increases your happiness and paves the way for stronger and more fulfilling connections.

iko/Dollar Photo Club

Do you know how to create the kinds of relationships that feel good? Research suggests that building optimism about the future can motivate us to work toward our desired future and thus make it more likely to become a reality.

This exercise asks you to imagine your relationships going as well as they possibly could, then write about this best possible future. By doing so, research suggests that you’ll not only increase your happiness but pave the way for stronger and more fulfilling connections.

TIME REQUIRED

15 minutes per day for two weeks.

HOW TO DO IT

Take a moment to imagine your life in the future, and focus specifically on your relationships. What is the best possible romantic, social, and family life you can imagine? This could involve, for example, having a supportive partner, good relationships with your children and/or parents, and a close group of friends. Think about what your best possible relationships would look like for you.

For the next 15 minutes, write continuously about what you imagined about these best possible future relationships. Use the instructions below to help guide you through this process.

It may be easy for this exercise to lead you to examine how your current relationships…