Give “Future Me” A Vote To Boost Your Motivation

Ever have one of those days where you know what you should be doing…but you’re met with resistance at every turn?

Maybe you’re trying to live healthier, but right now Netflix sounds a lot more appealing than getting your daily steps in. Or maybe you have some upcoming deadlines, but you’re procrastinating for as long as you can because it’s tedious work.

There’s a concept I teach to my clients that’s incredibly helpful for focus, discipline, and generally living a fulfilling life. It’s so simple it’s almost comical. Are you ready?

Looking Ahead: Future Me Gets a Vote

When I’m in a situation where I really don’t want to do something and keep putting it off, I ask myself, what would benefit my Future Self here?

I call it, “Future Me gets a vote.”

And with that one simple thought, I remember the value of delayed gratification. I find my motivation to go take that walk or lift those weights. I find my focus and work on the project with the deadline that’s not quite critical, but will be soon.

I struggle with discipline and motivation as much as the next person. And that’s why this simple hack has been so helpful. Because as much as I struggle, I also care very deeply about Future Wendy.

I want to live in a way that sets up my Future Self for success. And I’m guessing you feel the same way when you think about your own future.

Considering the Future Self helps you become more aware of how much your day-to-day actions really matter. But that’s just one part of a positive reinforcement loop.

Past, Present, Future: Closing the Loop

If the first part is considering your Future Self, the other part of the loop is looking back upon your Past Self.

It’s a cycle:

➡️ Look forward with care.
⬅️ Look back with gratitude.

“Future Me gets a vote” is a way to look forward with care, and make choices that will be good for the future version of me. Meanwhile, looking back with gratitude means I’m continually appreciating the choices that Past Wendy made that set me up for success.

When I look back with gratitude, I reinforce the pattern of looking forward with care. When I look forward with care, I do more things that I can later reflect on with gratitude.

See how that works?

The reinforcement loop is very similar to relationships with other people. When you act out of care for someone and they show gratitude for your care, it creates a cycle where you are more likely to show care again in the future.

That is why the second part of the loop, looking back with gratitude, is especially important.

Too often, people look back at their past choices with regret. “I shouldn’t have eaten that dessert.” Or “I should have gotten further on this project last week.”

But imagine a relationship with a friend where you constantly focus on what they did wrong and where they fell short. How hurt would they be if they received constant criticism without any appreciation? Would you really treat a friend that way?

Of course not!

Yet, we tend to treat ourselves that way by default.

Learning to appreciate the Past Self might be the hardest part of this cycle. But rather than tear ourselves down, I believe we can truly learn to appreciate all the times we put in effort and tried our best.

Putting It Into Practice

The dance of looking forward with care and looking back with gratitude creates an upward spiral of positivity, motivation, and impact.

Try this out for yourself. The easiest way is to simply notice what you’re already doing.

Whenever you do anything today that’s good for your Future Self, say to yourself, “I’m doing this for Future [Your Name] who will truly appreciate it.” This can be as simple as recognizing that brushing your teeth is good for your Future Self.

Whenever you recognize that your Past Self did anything that set you up for success in the present, offer gratitude. Say to yourself, “I really appreciate that Past [Your Name] did this so I can benefit today.” If you cleaned off your desk or made your to-do list yesterday afternoon, acknowledge that. If you went to bed early instead of scrolling social media, thank your Past Self.

Start small and work your way up to bigger ways to look forward with care and look back with gratitude. Your Future Self will thank you!