Over the past few weeks, we’ve talked about taking the first minute, celebrating small victories, putting on our own oxygen mask first, discovering that Physical Literacy is about much more than movement, and asking ourselves who we are becoming through our daily choices. Each week has been another small step on the same journey.
A few weeks ago, I wrote something that might have sounded impossible. “I can predict the future.” If you didn’t believe me then, perhaps you do now. Not because I have a crystal ball or because I can somehow see tomorrow. It’s because our future is often much more predictable than we think.
Well … maybe not always.
I was convinced that by now we’d have a Territorial Sport Organization for Snowball Fights. Apparently, we haven’t reached that part of the future yet. The idea is still there. We simply haven’t given it enough attention to make it a reality. Most of the time, though, the future follows a much simpler pattern.
If you choose to walk a little more today, there is a good chance you’ll breathe a little easier tomorrow. If you drink another glass of water instead of another sugary drink, you’ll probably feel better. If you go to bed a little earlier, you’ll likely have more energy. If you spend a little more time outside and a little less time scrolling on your phone, you’ll probably smile a little more.
None of that is magic. It is simply how habits work.
Physical Literacy teaches us that movement isn’t built through one extraordinary day. It grows through hundreds of ordinary ones. One walk. One bike ride. One healthy meal. One game with our children. One evening spent outside. Individually, those moments may not seem very important. Together, they quietly build a future.
The same is true beyond movement. Every encouraging word strengthens a friendship. Every hour spent volunteering strengthens a community. Every practice attended builds confidence. Every time we choose to show up, we are quietly creating tomorrow.
Perhaps that’s one of the greatest gifts of Physical Literacy. It doesn’t simply prepare us for today’s activity. It prepares us for the life we want to live.
Every time we run, jump, throw, catch, balance, climb, pedal a bike, or simply go for a walk, we’re strengthening the fundamental movement skills that become the building blocks for an active life. The more we use them, the more confident we become. The more confident we become, the more likely we are to keep moving.
Long before we notice the changes, our daily choices are shaping who we are becoming. We often hope our future will somehow be different. Healthier. Stronger. More confident. More active. But hope alone doesn’t create that future. Today’s choices do.
The encouraging part is that we don’t have to change everything today. We only have to make one choice that future us will appreciate. One more glass of water. One less sugary drink. One walk around the block. One extra hour of sleep. One moment spent moving instead of sitting. Small actions compound. They become habits. Habits become routines. Routines become lifestyles. And lifestyles quietly become our future.
So this week’s challenge is simple. What future are you quietly building today? Because chances are … You’re already predicting it.