Does this situation sound familiar to you? It's 12:00 a.m. on a Sunday night and you still haven't started on that paper but all of your friends have just decided to watch the entire first season of "The Office". You know that you should be writing the paper but the temptation to watch Dwight's antics for the millionth time is calling. The problem isn't that you don't know what the right choice is; the problem is finding the motivation to be good to future self.
After spending a few weeks at college this problem has proven itself to be a formidable struggle. Unlike High School, college's many distractions are so easily accessible. You don't even have to leave campus to be able to go to a thousand different events. I needed a new way to motivate myself to actually study in order that I could attain some semblance of sleep. I decided to think of my future self more than my current self.
Before I make any decision, I always think about how it will affect my future self. Do I really need to spend the next six hours watching football, or should I get started on that Calculus homework? Is eating this fourth pop tart really going to make me feel good or should I go on a run? I continually ask myself these questions so that I can consciously think about my time management. In the back of my mind, I think about how tired I will be the next morning and how I happy I will be if I'm able to get a good grade on my next exam.
This mindset doesn't have to end at school, you can think about your entire life like this. Think about how cool it would for you to know a new language or instrument! If you put in the work now and sacrifice some the time you waste then you are able to attain many new skills that can serve you well later on in life.Sure, you may have to deny hanging out with friends a couple of times in order to practice your new skill, but hard work requires perseverance. Once you have put the time into learning a new skill you will never regret it.
Remember to always keep future you in mind. Don't be worried about the small disappointments of the present and focus on your future successes. You are sure to forget that extra pop tart you ate but you will never forget that marathon you ran. Watching that horrible horror movie won't benefit you but being able to speak Spanish will. No matter what, know that who you will be in the future is infinitely more important than getting over your present laziness. The path to being fulfilled in the future is full of stifled day to day pleasures but in the end all of your hard work will be worth it. So let Jim and Pam wait and get to work.
