Balance Your Future and Present Self

You know the phrase, "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die"? You've probably heard it if you're a fan of Ecclesiastes or Dave Matthews Band. You might have even seen it misspelled on a bathroom door. Alfred Hitchcock once refuted that popular statement. "If you're the eat, drink, and be merry type," he said, "you'll probably end up fat, alcoholic, and miserable." But how do you reconcile that part of you that wants to be merry now with the part of you that has long-term goals for happiness and well-being later? Welcome to WellCast. This week, we'll show you the difference between being present-focused and future-focused, and give you an exercise that will help you achieve a balance between the two. It's somewhat in human nature to want instant gratification. I mean, if a genie pops out of a lamp and offers you a choice between $100 now and $100 a year from now, would you really choose the latter? And yet, some people seem to be more focused on achieving future gratification than others. This was corroborated by a famous Stanford University study four decades ago, run by psych professor Walter Mischel. Mischel gathered a bunch of four-year-olds and offered them each a marshmallow. The four-year-olds were told that if they wanted, they could eat the marshmallow right then. If they could wait 15 minutes without eating it, they would be given a second marshmallow. 70% of the children were too impatient to wait the 15 minutes. A decade and a half later, the subjects were brought back in for interviews. It turns out, the mere 30% who were able to wait the 15 minutes for two marshmallows were much higher achievers than their impatient compatriots. In every way that success can be quantified, too. Higher SAT scores, better performance in academics, athletics, etc. They were even reported to be happier. Basically, the ability to hold off on gratification is a marker for success in life. That's not surprising. Present-focused people are more likely to lean toward a variety of vices. Gambling, drinking, promiscuity. While future-focused people are more likely to act according to distant career or life goals. But at the same time, people who are too focused on their future tend to overlook the importance of enjoying the moment. We all knew people in high school or college who were so obsessed with doing well academically, they neglected their friends and social life. Which brings us to this week's exercise. We've got a two-step method to better balancing these two focuses. Step 1. Reroute your focus. If you're too present-focused, sit down and write five career or life goals in your WellCast journal. For example, "I want to one day own my own company." Or "I want to retain my health and current weight." If you're too future-focused, force yourself to remain in the present. Make a conscious effort to put aside time just for enjoyment. Relax for an evening. Hang out with your friends. Grab a beer with co-workers after work. Leave that assignment for the next day. It'll still be there. Step 2. Know when each focus is needed. Next, in your WellCast journal, map out your day in hourly segments. Use our handy time management calendar to keep it simple. Then assign what kinds of focus you should have for each segment. For example, if you're at work, you should probably be future-focused. You should be working towards accomplishing future goals and cultivating your career. But once you're done with work, you should do present-focused activities, like hanging out with your friends. Take time to enjoy the moment. Let's recap. To maintain a healthy and successful life, you'll need to juggle your abilities to plan for the future while enjoying the moment. Odds are, you'll lean to one side or the other in your everyday activities. The best way to achieve balance is to A. reroute your focus and B. divide and assign your day based on where your focus should lie and remind yourself to follow this schedule. Do you feel your focus shifting at all? We want to know. Visit us at WatchWellCast, email us at watchwellcast@gmail.com, or leave a comment down below. We'll see you next time!