Present bias.
Psychologists call it our tendency to overvalue what feels good right now and discount what’s better later. It’s why we grab the cookie, skip the workout, spend the cash. Future us gets sidelined for present comfort.
Last night.
It was the end of a long day. I’d given it all, and then, of course, life threw in a few “bonus challenges.” By the time evening came, a whole bar of dark chocolate and a bag of cashews felt like exactly what I needed and surely deserved.
But then I started thinking about my future self who'll wake up tomorrow to the results of my actions today.
In coaching, we call it, "compassion for your future self"
Over the past couple of years, I’ve trained myself to pause and run the 10/10/10 decision-making test:
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How will I feel in 10 hours?
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How will I feel in 10 days?
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How will I feel in 10 months about this decision?
In 10 hours, I’d be sluggish. Mornings are when my best work happens, when creativity kicks in, when I can untangle client problems. A late-night calorie bomb would steal that. And every day counts.
In 10 days, I’d want to look back proud, knowing I made choices that matched my goals. “One night won’t change anything” is the classic lie that builds every long-term regret.
In 10 months, I want to be in the best shape of my life, fitness-wise. Sleep quality matters. A chocolate-and-nuts feast doesn’t help.
And also, I’d promised a friend I’d show up for their workout. That’s the kind of person I want to be: someone who means their commitments and makes less of them (ps 630 reps done and dusted).
So instead, I chose a hot cup of light coconut milk with cinnamon and a nice hot shower. Very nourishing. Huberman would approve. And honestly, pretty enjoyable too. (ps sleep was tremendous)
That whole inner debate? It happened in less than 2 minutes.
But those minutes are where growth happens.
These are the kind of moments we need to:
Recognize and become aware of triggers and how they happen
Figure out a plan of action and why it matters well in advance, not in hot decision moments
Master them with repetition to reinvent and grow ourselves, instead of reliving our past patterns over and over and over again... hoping that next time we for sure will do much better.
The trick isn’t to eliminate present bias - you can’t. It’s hardwired. The trick is to train yourself, to build new habits to deal with it better.
Because if you keep replaying the same old patterns, you’ll keep replaying the same old regrets, and your future will be just like the past.
You don't decide your future. You develop habits, and they decide how your future will be.
Over to you, dear reader,
What’s one pattern you keep repeating, even though you wish you’d outgrown it by now? And what could you put in place to remind yourself that future-you deserves a seat at the table too?
