I just saw a Ted talk by Daniel Goldstein, who studies how we make decisions. He talks about why it’s SO hard to resist temptation: because it’s a fight between our present self and our future self.
- Our future self wants us to eat healthier so we can play more actively with our grandkids in the future; our present self wants to eat that dessert so we can enjoy the delicious taste of strawberry rhubarb tart.
- Our future self wants us to work out so we can still hike when we’re retired; our present self doesn’t want to get up off the couch.
- Our future self wants us to save more of our salary so they can live better in the future; our present self really wants that awesome new bag.
As you might guess from reading the examples, usually our present self wins — because she is the one who’s here right now!
So, what can we do about it?
Well, here’s what Dan suggests. He’s working on technologies to help us visualize our “future self” so we can make the future self feel more immediate. But I have some ideas we can do easily, cheaply, and without waiting for new technology to be developed:
- We can get to know our future self better. Close your eyes and imagine you’re walking up the road to the front door of your future self. Imagine yourself meeting him or her. What are they like? What is their house like? What advice would they give you for your life right now? Meditating or journaling on this topic can help you stay in touch with your future self and make them more “real” and hold more power over your decisions.
- We can translate what the future self wants into more immediate impact. Rather than focusing on the long-term reasons for achieving your goal, look more short-term. Notice the close-in impacts of heeding your present self. For example, if I eat the whole strawberry rhubarb tart for dessert, I’ll get a sugar high and feel terrible in about 30 minutes. If I don’t work out tonight, I’ll feel sluggish tomorrow. Or, I’ll look bad in my bikini this weekend. Often these effects are more subtle than the long-term impacts, but can be more useful.
Daniel Goldstein: The battle between your present and future self