Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
"Future Sarah and Future Alex will thank us for this" was a regular refrain in a previous workplace when we had a boring but important job to tackle. Sorting a big collection, working our way systematically through a list of data or revising something we'd planned saw us enlisting Future Sarah and Future Alex to get started or to keep going.
As humans, we tend to favour our present self at the expense of our future self. So we'll decide to put off the big sort, skip an exercise session, eat too much, stay up late, or procrastinate - and our future self is left dealing with the consequences. But these in-the-moment decisions compound: while none feel like a big deal at the time, they can add up over time.
So put yourself in the shoes of your future self. How will Future Me feel about Present Me's decision when it's in the past?
We can use our emotions as a source of information to understand the way we feel. And use them more proactively as well to influence our behaviour and decision-making process. Empathising with Future Me and visualising potential regrets isn't a way to put off making any decision or beat yourself up to tackle something you're dreading, but simply a way to consider how a decision will make Future Me feel. If you conclude your future self will feel fine about not doing something, that’s perfectly valid. As is deciding to pay it forward to Future Me.
1 question
What decision am I tackling and how will Future Me feel about it?
2 ideas
Psychologist Meg Jay explores planning for a version of yourself you haven't met yet, and how to close the empathy gap between you and your future selves. (10 minute watch)
This recent New Scientist article (£) reviews evidence-based techniques including self-compassion to allow us to engage with our future selves – including writing them letters and even talking to them in virtual reality – that could transform not only how you relate to yourself, but also how you behave in the here and now
1 quote
The game of life is a lot like football. You have to tackle your problems, block your fears, and score your points when you get the opportunities.
Lewis Grizzard, in Gettin’ It On: A Down-Home Treasury (1990)
