Future-You Credit
Key ideas
Skill summary
Three quick reminders before you start.
Overview
This skill is about building a bridge between who you are today and who you will be tomorrow. By promising yourself a small treat for completing a task now, you make it easier to stay focused. It is all about treating your future self like a best friend who deserves a little kindness and a reward for their hard work.
How Your Brain Works
Your brain uses two main parts to manage your feelings and your ability to think clearly.
The Guard Dog
The alarm system. Reacts to stress with fight-or-flight responses.
The Wise Owl
Logic and calm decision-making, best accessed when the alarm quiets down.
The Alarm
The Guard Dog lives in the part of your brain that reacts quickly. When you face a boring or hard task, the Guard Dog barks because it wants comfort right now. It pushes you to choose instant relief, like scrolling on your phone, instead of doing what matters. It is focused only on the present moment and can make you feel impulsive.
The Wise Owl
The Wise Owl is the part of your brain that thinks ahead and makes plans. It knows that finishing your work now will make things easier later. When you use Future-You Credit, you give the Wise Owl a tool to help calm the Guard Dog down by offering it something to look forward to.
The Connection
By picturing a reward for your future self, you activate a special connection in your brain. This helps the Wise Owl take the lead. Instead of the Guard Dog running the show with impulsivity, the Wise Owl uses that future reward to keep you moving forward. This process helps your brain release chemicals that make you feel motivated and steady, making it easier to stick to your goals over time. It strengthens the link between the person you are today and the person you want to become tomorrow.
How to Use This Skill
Imagine you are making a friendly deal with a version of yourself that exists a few hours or days from now. It is like being a good teammate to your future self, making sure they feel appreciated for the effort you are putting in right now.
Pick Your Current Move
Decide to spend twenty minutes on your science project today so that you do not feel rushed later this week.
Set Up the Future Prize
Tell yourself that once those twenty minutes are up, you get to listen to your favourite podcast or have a snack.
Follow Through and Enjoy
Finish the work, then actually take the break or reward you promised. This makes the next time much easier.
Real-Life Example
Beating the Homework Blues
The Big Pile
You see a huge stack of math problems and immediately feel like you want to go watch TV instead.
The Guard Dog Bark
"This is way too much work. I should just relax now and worry about it some other time."
The Future Deal
- Stop and realize the Guard Dog is just trying to protect you from being bored.
- Promise your future self a 20-minute gaming session if you finish just five problems.
- Visualize how relaxed and happy "Future-You" will be while gaming with no math hanging over their head.
- Do the five problems while keeping that image in mind.
- Hand over the credit by playing the game guilt-free.
The Wise Owl gets stronger by planning ahead, helping you feel less anxious and more in control of your schoolwork.
Practice Tips
Here are some ways to make this habit stick and help your brain get used to looking ahead.
- Get Specific
Try to picture exactly what your reward will look like and how it will feel to enjoy it later on.
- Start Small
You do not need massive rewards. Even a five-minute stretch or a fresh glass of water can work.
- Daily Wins
Track your small victories daily to help your brain learn that this new habit really works.
Pro Tip
Why It Works
This skill helps you build a better relationship with yourself and makes hard tasks feel more manageable.
This skill supports your well-being because:
- Better Planning
It helps your brain's planning centre stay in charge even when things feel stressful.
- Boosts Mood
By focusing on positive rewards, you can help your brain feel more hopeful about the future.
- Builds Resilience
Practising future thinking helps you handle anxiety by focusing on what you can control.
References
Research-based evidence supporting this skill
- Research shows that when we feel connected to our future selves, we make better choices for our health and happiness.
- Tikvah Lake Florida. (n.d.). The power of imagining the 'future you'.
- Rutchick, A. M., Slepian, M. L., Reyes, M. O., Pleskus, L. N., & Hershfield, H. E. (2018). Future self-continuity is associated with improved health and well-being. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied.
- Hallford, D. J., et al. (2023). Links between mental health problems and future thinking from the perspective of adolescents. PMC.
- Psychiatric Times. (n.d.). How to think about the future: It is called futures thinking, part 2.
- National Institutes of Health. (2019). Thinking about the past and future in daily life.
- Blueprint Zine. (n.d.). “But you've got such a bright future ahead of you”: On validity and mental health.