We tend to care less about the future version of ourselves than we do about our present day selves.
One donut today won’t hurt!! Will it?
If one donut today becomes a sugary treat every day, that can build up over time to become a problem for our future selves.
It’s the same with anything we put off or don’t do because we can’t be bothered/aren’t motivated enough to make the change today.
Many of us only make a change when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of changing.
This is an issue that affects us all. It’s why 13% Of Australians still smoke. It’s why there’s an obesity problem, it’s why most people won’t have enough in their pension when they retire, it’s why people stay in jobs and relationships that aren’t the best for them – because it’s a problem for tomorrow.
We are more into instant gratification than delayed gratification.
“I’ll start it on Monday/next month/after Christmas/after my birthday/holiday/on New Years Day……”
So why do we care less about our future selves?
Researchers have put some energy into figuring this out and came up with a few reasons.
🌎 We see our future selves as a foreign person, and struggle to connect with ourselves in a distant timeframe. Try spending a few minutes a day visualising who you want to be in 5/10/20/40 years time, then ask yourself what you can do TODAY to help yourself become that person. Really try getting into this visualisation and FEEL the emotion that goes with it ❤️
🧠 Our brains are hardwired to not think about our future selves. Studies have shown that thinking about your current self triggers different brain regions than when thinking about your future self.
Thinking about Future You activates the same areas of the brain as when we think about other people, which means our brain transmits present and future consequences to different parts of the brain. While you might KNOW the benefits of helping future you now, you are unlikely to FEEL it.
One way to train yourself to change this is by linking present goals with future goals. See each of your current goals as a step towards a bigger goal in the future.
✅ We prefer certain vs uncertain options. If we aren’t 100% sure we will achieve an outcome then sometimes we won’t even try.
By stepping into self-awareness of how you can help Future You, you’ll have a better outcome for both of your selves today and tomorrow!
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.”
What if you start today?
What if, every day, you make incremental baby steps towards your bigger goal?
What kind of impact would that have on Future You?
Would you like to get going but don’t know how to start? That’s where a coach can come in really useful!!
PM me on Facebook or email me about your ideas for Future You and let’s chat about how I can help you get there.
I’d love to hear what your Future You looks like when you really take the time to think about it 😊
Catcha on the flip side,
