We have discovered a little life hack for you!
Let's say you're trying to make a good choice, such as going for a walk after work Monday through Thursday.
But tonight when you get to the point that you need to lace up your shoes and go...you don't want to.
You're tired and hungry and you just want to go home.
Try this: take a vote!
PAST YOU gets one vote.
Past you votes WALK - after all, past you is the one who originally decided you should take a nightly walk.
FUTURE YOU gets one vote.
Future you votes WALK - because you know that the future you will be disappointed you skipped this habit you're working on a building.
CURRENT YOU gets one vote.
You got it: it doesn't even matter what current you votes for because you're already outnumbered!
So, the versions of you that are able to take a long-term view (past and future), that aren't using the emotions of the current moment, get to decide what you do right now.
The more often you do this, the more often you're going to make the healthier decision.
This could be used in relation to working out, eating better, and even smarter spending decisions.
Caveat: this won't always work.
Sometimes your plans really do have to change. Maybe it's your best friend's birthday, it's a thunderstorm downpour, your knee is hurting, etc.
It's okay to skip things now and then, as long as you use that "miss" to inform and adjust your future plans.
Maybe you need to walk at lunch when evening plans happen, maybe you need some rain gear, or maybe you need to resume your daily physical therapy for that old knee injury.
Give it a try the next time your emotions try to talk you out of the smarter decision, whether it's getting in a workout, choosing a salad instead of the alfredo, or anything where "current you" feels like making the more fun or easier choice rather than the smarter choice.
Comments