Present Me is Always Looking Out for Future Me
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As I’ve been going through and writing these recent productivity articles, I realized that all of my ideas about personal effectiveness can be condensed down into one idea: Present me is always looking out for future me.
This means that I am always planning for the future whether that is just this evening or a few years down the road. I plan as far in advance as I can and do everything in my power today, to make life easier for who I will be tomorrow, or in ten years. The reason I’m able to find the motivation to stay organized, disciplined, or try new things is because I want life to be easier and better for the person I’ll be later on.
In small ways this manifests itself like this - I never procrastinate on homework or work assignments. If something comes up at work that would take me five min or less like walking to someone to get a question answered or responding to a quick email, I do it right away - less on my to-do list later. I put things back where they came from which makes them easier to find later. I plan my to-do list and outfit and meals the day before which means I don’t need to waste decision time on the day.
By doing these little things - I make the following hours or days easier because I’m consistently organized. I rarely lose things or spend too much time deciding what to do or how to structure my day because I already thought ahead for myself. This habit is so strict that I literally make myself this little kit (actually fits in this bag) when I go on dates that has my contact solution, skincare, and makeup in it because I hate sleeping with my contacts in and makeup on so much that if there is even a TINY chance I don’t sleep in my own bed for the night, I need to be prepared. Future me is always thankful.
In larger ways it manifests itself like this - I work out and try to eat and sleep well every day so I can stay healthier for longer, don’t run into issues with new activities, and don’t get sick very often, I practice language so that I can improve brain function and for when I actually need them, I read to make connections to concepts or ideas in the future, I take classes and boot camps for future job opportunities. I travel to learn about new places and put myself outside my comfort zone. I study investing and have several accounts to plan for unexpected things and to aim for early retirement.
Even though I may not know what the future five or ten years may hold. I already know I want to be healthy, and ready to accept any opportunities or incur any failures that may come my way in that time and I prepare as such. The larger actions prepare me for all the unknowns of life. I like this way of living. Very few things catch me off guard, I am almost never unprepared, and rarely take long to make decisions. However, it doesn’t come without its cons.
Chiefly that living this way usually means I have trouble truly living in the moment. If I go out with friends I’m constantly thinking about how this will affect my sleep schedule and if I’m drinking too much to feel like working out the next day. If something doesn’t work out as planned (which to be fair, is pretty rare for me since I usually also plan for the unknown), it is quite possible my brain shorts out and I freak. In the past, I’ve also said no to opportunities that could have been great simply to comply with all of my own routines and habits. I realize there is a balance to be found somewhere in here but so far I still err on the side of planning and it’s gotten me pretty far. So if you’re ever wondering if you should do something, just ask yourself if future you would appreciate it. If the answer is yes, it’s probably a good idea.