💡 CheatCode #125: Borrow the Future

Think from your future self, not about your future self.

Photo by Roger Ce on Unsplash

“The future starts as an imagination — until you listen to it.” — Adapted

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Most people project forward when they think about their future. High performers do the opposite: they reverse-engineer their behavior from the person they want to become.

This is called “future borrowing.”

Instead of asking:
“What should I do?”
You ask:
“What would Future Me already do?”

It’s the mental equivalent of stepping into a room you haven’t built yet — then borrowing the confidence, clarity, and discipline of the person who lives there.

Elite athletes do this before big games.
Executives use it before negotiations.
Creators use it before launching something new.

When you borrow the future, your present gets upgrade-level clarity.

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Related Study

Research by Hal Hershfield at UCLA shows that thinking from the perspective of an older, wiser “future self” significantly increases goal completion, long-term planning, and reduced impulsive decision-making.

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Why It Works

✅ Removes doubt (future you is decisive)
✅ Increases courage (future you already survived the leap)
✅ Simplifies priorities (future you doesn’t chase noise)
✅ Reduces anxiety (future you has perspective)
✅ Speeds up execution (future you knows the path)

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Today’s Challenge

Ask Future You one question:
“If I were already the person I’m becoming, what would I do next?”
Then do that.

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Final Thought

Your future self isn’t waiting — they’re calling you forward. -1% CheatCode