Empathy isn’t just for others; it can be a driving force for your future self’s motivation too.
Reflecting on childhood swimming sessions with his father, one writer came to understand that his dad’s presence in the pool was about much more than discipline or a love for swimming. It was a deliberate choice, motivated not just by present enjoyment but by future satisfaction. This approach highlights a crucial insight: solely relying on willpower to reach goals can be counterproductive, as willpower is limited and can be depleted.
Research conducted by Dr. Roy Baumeister demonstrated that exerting willpower, like resisting tempting foods or suppressing emotions, leads to quicker fatigue and less persistence on tasks. This evidence of ‘ego depletion’ suggests that depending solely on willpower can hinder our persistence in challenging tasks more than it helps.
The conversation around persistence has shifted since the early 20th century when attitude was considered the key to success. Now, there is acknowledgment that we avoid tasks we don’t enjoy, and behavioral change often requires incentives. For instance, some gyms effectively use financial incentives to encourage regular attendance, while other strategies like ‘temptation bundling’ allow people to indulge in a pleasure like favorite shows while exercising, increasing their commitment to exercise.
Another more subtle technique involves tapping into our brain’s right temporoparietal junction, which connects empathy and self-control. When this brain area is disrupted, people’s self-control and ability to delay gratification degrade significantly. This indicates that our ability to envision our future emotional states can enhance our self-control and decision-making.
Applying empathy to motivate your future self involves picturing two competing outcomes. For example, when faced with a choice between fast food and a healthier option, envisioning the guilt of the former versus the satisfaction of the latter can influence a better decision. Similarly, using this mindset aids in overcoming aversions to daily tasks by reminding oneself of future gratitude for today’s efforts.
However, it’s important to set realistic expectations and accept personal limitations. Enormous changes in personality or habit require significant time and effort, and it’s more productive to align changes with one’s true self from the start. According to Dr. Michael Inzlicht, what often appears as self-discipline is the absence of perceived options due to strategically structured environments that favor better choices.
Regular self-accountability reinforces empathy-driven motivation. For instance, those who weigh themselves frequently tend to lose more weight, as the act of measuring aligns current actions with desired future results. By removing temptations and creating incentive-linked activities, individuals set themselves up for success. Progress is not always straightforward, and learning to be forgiving of oneself while staying focused on future satisfaction is vital.
Empathy for your future self isn’t just a philosophical idea; it’s a practical approach to making life choices easier and more sustainable.
Source: Yahoo
