Originally posted in our March 2022 Top of Mind Newsletter.
If someone were to ask you to think about your future self, who would you imagine? In this piece from the BBC, the author discusses two general ways people answer this question. One is a relatively vivid picture of the self who is well connected to the person’s current identity. The other is, in many ways, a stranger to the present person. Interestingly, the difference between these is that the former are often individuals who make decisions with their future in mind. However, the latter individuals tend to make decisions without their future best interests at heart.
“You could almost think about your future self as a relationship that needs to be nurtured and cultivated.” This article goes into the philosophical theories and psychological research that validate this “relationship” with our future selves. By practicing empathy with our future selves, studies show that we start to make choices that not only benefit our future selves but help us in the here and now.
We at ELI often talk about the power of goals and vision. So why not start with ourselves?