Keep Your Future Self in Mind

Calvin Coulter

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22h • General discussion

I believe that if you kept your future self in mind more often, you would make much better decisions.

But do you actually do that?

If not, let me explain how.

And if you already do, let me expand your mindset around it.

Keeping your future self in mind can prevent a huge amount of unnecessary pain in your life.

Think about how many problems come from repeatedly choosing what feels good now over what would be better later.

Someone gambles away all their money because, in that moment, they're focused on the excitement rather than the consequences their future self will have to deal with.

Someone eats junk food every day because they're focused on the pleasure right now rather than how those choices may affect them years from now.

If you can consistently think about what your future self will have to live with, you can prevent a lot of problems before they even happen.

So how do you actually do this?

You need to understand the difference between 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 and 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: doing something that may feel difficult or uncomfortable in the moment but benefits your future self.

𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: doing something that feels good immediately but may hurt you in the long term.

Delayed gratification could mean exercising.

It could mean doing difficult emotional work.

It could mean meditating, journaling, learning, working, healing trauma, or doing something today that makes tomorrow easier.

Instant gratification could mean constantly playing video games, eating junk food, endlessly scrolling, gambling, or consuming brain-rot content instead of doing what you know would benefit you later.

That doesn't mean every enjoyable thing is bad.

The problem is when short-term pleasure repeatedly comes at the expense of your long-term life.

Before making a decision, ask yourself:

"𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗲 𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗱 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀?"

Remember that.

Your future self eventually becomes your present self.

Start treating that person like someone you actually care about.

This is due to unprocessed trauma, you can't delay gratification because you're in survival mode.

If you heal trauma, which is bringing up unprocessed emotions and feeling unprocessed emotions, that's how you heal.

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Keep Your Future Self in Mind