{"id":40756,"date":"2021-06-21T10:44:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-21T14:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=40756"},"modified":"2021-07-01T13:46:42","modified_gmt":"2021-07-01T17:46:42","slug":"your-future-self","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/your-future-self\/","title":{"rendered":"Stop Putting Things Off: Your Future Self Is Still You"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Why do we assume we’ll be more inclined to do something tomorrow that we didn’t want to do today? Why do we see our future selves as different people?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research shows that you see your future self<\/a> as a completely different person. This makes you procrastinate on your goals because you assume that future-you will pick up the slack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some tips on how to stop seeing your future self as another person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Future You Is Still You<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We tend to think of our future selves as different people than we are today\u2014like strangers or sometimes even like superheroes. Most of us see our future selves in a much better light than we see our present selves. We believe our future self will not struggle with procrastination the way our present self does, <\/strong>or our future self will not want to eat that cupcake like our present self does. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do we deceive ourselves this way? Because your future self’s feelings and emotions aren’t as real and present as what you’re feeling right now. For example, when we commit to doing 20 hours of volunteer work next month<\/em> instead of this month<\/em>, we don’t realize we’ll probably be just as busy next month as we are right now. Thirty days from now, it\u2019s going to be just as tough to squeeze in those 20 volunteer hours as it is right now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research: <\/strong>Brain-imaging studies show that when we imagine our future selves, we actually utilize a different region of the brain<\/a> than we use to think about our present selves. The future-self region is the same region we use to think about <\/strong>other<\/em><\/strong> people. <\/strong>In other words, we see our future self as someone completely outside of who we are right now. It\u2019s no wonder we place more emphasis on pleasing ourselves right now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much we see our future selves as separate from our present selves varies from person to person. For some, the future self is basically a stranger\u2014and why would anyone invest their energies in a stranger? If you\u2019re disconnected in this way from your future self, you will be more interested in immediate gratification<\/a> and satisfying fleeting impulses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For others, the present and future self are more closely paired. These people tend to have a stronger future orientation. They save more for retirement, take better care of their health, and invest in long-lasting relationships. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip #1: Say Hello to Your Future Self<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Not surprisingly, strengthening your relationship with your future self can help shore up your willpower. If you make a close connection between who you are<\/a> now and who you will be later, you’ll be more willing to shun short-term impulses and work toward being the best version of yourself.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are two ways to make the future feel less abstract: <\/p>\n\n\n\n