People are terrible at resisting temptation today to secure future happiness. Read on to help clients be happy today and tomorrow (check out the full article here).
Why We're SO Bad at Resisting Temptation
The brain is wired to:
- Focus on desires now
- Get pleasure now
When thinking about the future the brain:
- Predicts badly
- Disregards consequences
As a Result
We struggle to delay gratification for future benefits. Think of the annual holiday struggle to limit over-indulging. It’s rough every year, right? That’s tiny compared to decades of self-management needed for a happy future. It’s no wonder we have such a hard time preparing for later years.
How to Help
People need a detailed future vision to overcome the pressures of today. Take clients through an exercise that paints a picture of the outcomes of today’s habits. They have to see and feel what the future will be like. Cast a vision of what to avoid, and a vision of what will feel great. Then plan interim steps to achieve their ideal outcome.
