Your Future Self

Based on over a decade of research, psychologist Hal Hershfield explores ways for us to connect with our future selves so that our lives right now can be improved and our hopes for the future can be achieved

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'A fascinating, profound and immediately practical guide to shaping your life to come, while living more richly in the moment' Oliver Burkeman

'A timely idea from one of today's leading behavioral scientists ... both personal and thoroughly grounded in the latest research' Angela Duckworth

'A fascinating window into who you might become tomorrow - and how you can have more say in that evolution today' Adam Grant

Few people would pass up the chance to travel through time and see what life will be like for our future selves. But while we want to envision the best possible future, why do some of us fail to make decisions that will truly make that a reality, while others succeed? Why do some of us choose steak over vegetables at dinner, waving off concerns of raising our cholesterol? Why do some splurge on luxury cars that we can't really afford, while others choose cheaper models and save more for the future? Why are so many of us so disconnected from our future selves?

In YOUR FUTURE SELF, Hal Hershfield reveals his groundbreaking research that shows that, in our minds, our future self often looks like a stranger. Many of us view the future as incredibly distant, making us more likely to opt for immediate gratification that disregards our health and wellbeing in the years to come. People who are able to connect with their future selves, however, are better able to balance living for today and planning for tomorrow. YOUR FUTURE SELF explains the science, describes the mental mistakes we make in thinking about the future, and gives us practical advice for imagining our best future so that we can make that a reality.