This is the Sign You’ve Been Looking For

Let's do a thought experiment. Can you visualize yourself in 5 years? Picture an older version of yourself and imagine your life. Based on your current lifestyle choices, will you be healthier, the same, or less healthy? If you think your health will decline, how does that make you feel?

As humans, we prioritize our immediate needs over those that might benefit us in the future. As a result, we often need help to delay gratification and make decisions that will lead to better long-term outcomes. Unfortunately, this can lead us to engage in behaviors like smoking, drinking, overeating, and overspending. While it would be logical to prioritize our health, finances, and future well-being, we don't always make the best choices. As fallible creatures, we sometimes prioritize our immediate desires over our long-term goals.

Discover the two thinking systems detailed in Daniel Kahneman's influential book, "Thinking Fast and Slow." One system is our slow and deliberate decision-making process, while the other is our fast and automatic survival and pleasure-driven system. In "Switch," Chip and Dan Heath refer to these two systems as "the elephant" and "the rider." Our automatic and instinctual limbic system, the "elephant," is also known as the "lizard brain." This ancestral system seeks immediate gratification, such as the rush from chocolate, alcohol, drugs, or gambling. It prioritizes present pleasure over long-term consequences.

We are wired to prioritize the now. In the past, our ancestors didn't have the luxury of knowing where their next meal would come from. As a result, they ate as much as they could in the present moment. They focused on survival and ensuring their families were fed. They would share with their immediate community so that everyone could help each other in need. Heart disease and diabetes were not significant concerns as people did not live long enough to develop such illnesses.

Additionally, not enough high-calorie food could lead to obesity at the current rates. The modern lifestyle of convenience and easy access to hyper-palatable food has only existed for a short time compared to the entire history of humanity. Even pictures from the 1970s show that obesity was not as prevalent as it is today.

To improve our decision-making, delay gratification, and care for our future selves, we can start by viewing our future selves as real people with needs, fears, and insecurities instead of just a distant, abstract concept. As a result, we tend to care more and take action to help those in front of us. For example, organizations like World Vision show images of starving children in their commercials to evoke strong emotions and encourage action. Similarly, humanizing our future selves can increase our likelihood of changing our behavior to be kind to this real person. Therefore, let's view our future selves as real people with needs, fears, and insecurities and act accordingly.

Humans naturally tend to block out the overwhelming amount of suffering and hardship in the world. This is because our minds can't handle being constantly bombarded with bad news and statistics. However, our empathy kicks in when we witness someone we care about or a child in distress. Still, these emotional responses are often temporary and insufficient to make a lasting impact. To truly make a difference, we must take immediate action and establish systems that will encourage us to continue behaving compassionately. While this can be challenging, we must consider these factors moving forward.

1.) Practice Your Habits

There is so much to learn about habits that one paragraph hardly scratches the surface. If you're interested in improving your habits, many helpful resources are available, such as the books Atomic Habits by James Clear and The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. A critical aspect of forming a new habit is focusing on the positive feeling that comes with it. For example, even though we know smoking is dangerous, smokers still crave the feeling of tobacco. Similarly, we may desire the clean feel of our teeth after brushing or the positive feeling after completing a workout. By fixating on these positive feelings, we can learn to crave them and establish new positive habits. 

Although starting new habits can be difficult, many resources are available to help us succeed.

2.) Develop Your Identity

Many struggle with maintaining a healthy diet and exercise routine due to a lack of willpower. But what if I told you that you could bypass the need for willpower altogether? Think about it - tasks that align with your core identity are often effortless. For example, if you have a solid fitness habit, you automatically drive to the gym without much thought or effort. This is because exercising has become a part of your identity, and you no longer rely on willpower to motivate yourself. 

But what if you don't have a strong fitness identity? If you were active in the past, tap into that old identity. Maybe you were an athlete or had a consistent fitness routine that you let slip away. Alternatively, focus on creating an aspirational fitness identity for yourself. Picture a stronger and fitter version of yourself and use that image to guide your behavior. Don't limit yourself - aspire to be the best version of yourself that you can be.

If you view an active lifestyle as an integral part of your ideal self, it can aid in forming essential habits. Over time, your identity will evolve, and being active will become an inseparable aspect of your personality. Essentially, you can "fake it until you make it."

3.) Find A Purpose Greater Than Yourself

Viktor E. Frankel's book, Man's Search For Meaning, discusses how having a purpose greater than oneself can help individuals endure challenging situations. To create a stronger motivation for making positive life changes, envision a clear image of your future self as a person you care about. This can lead to better outcomes.

The decisions you make today will determine the state of your future self. Whether you indulge in harmful substances or make unhealthy choices, your future self will suffer the consequences. You cannot go back in time to undo the harm caused by your actions. Instead, reflect on your past choices and how they've affected your career, relationships, and health. Some decisions may have positive outcomes, while others may have negative consequences. Consider the struggles of those who have made poor lifestyle choices and are now dealing with the long-term effects. Remember, every decision you make shapes your future self.

When it comes to your future well-being, what do you prioritize? Would you prefer to focus on health, strength, and confidence? Or are you willing to take on the risks of potential health problems, weight gain, and emotional struggles? This is not a decision to be made lightly. It requires a dedicated effort to stick to your chosen path and reap the gradual benefits of your lifestyle choices, which may take time to notice. However, if you stay committed, your future self will thank you for your perseverance.