Don't trust Future you

In a book I'm currently reading, You're not so smart, had an interesting article about fooling yourself. People tend to put too much pressure on their future me. So the idea is, that people trust, that I'm going to do this and that in a week, but today I'll let myself go. This is a reason many diets fail and deadlines are not kept. Truth is, future you is not any better that you are today.

I really loved the idea. I've noticed this same with me many times before. Best self control happens right now, not tomorrow or in a week. If you decide to do something tomorrow instead of today, you tomorrow might do the exact same thing. If you buy 3 chocolate bars from the store in a price of 2 and decide to eat those later, there's a big change that your future you will actually eat those earlier than you were planning.

You should not think your future you as good person who will be better than you are today. You should even think your future you as an different person, whom you can control. You should trick your future you always if you can. Sign yourself to a sports event today, if you want to make sure your future you keeps your promises on sports. Start your assignment task today, if it needs to happen in a week. Don't trust your future you. Your future you is excellent on making excuses on not doing something or allowing something for themselves just this once.

If you don't want to use more than 100 euros for shopping clothes this evening, don't give your future you more than 100 euros to go. Your future definitely can make good excuses why just this once you need to use 170 euros instead of only 100 euros. The best way to control your future you is to make the decisions ready for you.

When you really start to think about this, you find it true. You can't trust your future you. You need to take control today, not leave it to your future you.

Written by +Henri Hämäläinen