Is “Future You” Sabotaging Your Progress?
Failing to predict our own behavior can put a dent into the best of plans.
Has this ever happened to you:
You identify a problem in your life — say, gaining lots of weight over a short period of time. It’s starting to impact your everyday life in negative ways; it brings you down and affects your health.
You decide, no more. You do your research, devise a meticulous plan, shop for ingredients, and stock your fridge with healthy food. “Present you” is having a field day with all the preparations and excitement for your future transformation.
A few days go by until Monday comes along. Because, invariably, all plans start on Monday.
“Monday you” isn’t feeling too well. You’re having a bad day. You’re experiencing a lot of pressure at work. You’re alone in your battle with the anxiety or low-grade depression you’ve been trying to hide from everyone else.
You decide “Friday you” was a cruel idiot who doesn’t get to dictate how you’re going to spend the rest of the evening after such a horrible day. You buy the chips you’ve avoided keeping in the house and pop open that bottle of wine you reserved for the weekend.
