We all have the tendency to imagine that a future version of ourselves will be more disciplined than the present version of ourselves. Why is that?

Studies have been done in which people were asked if they would rather have fruit or cake one week from now. They usually say “fruit”. But a week later, when a slice of chocolate cake is offered along with an apple, test subjects were more statistically likely to go for the cake.

This is called Present Bias, the belief that what we want now isn’t the same thing you will want later. The future version of ourselves that we imagine always has more willpower and a flatter stomach than the present actual version.

Author David McRaney says, “When you are making plans your better angels point to the nourishing choices, but in the moment you go for what tastes good”.

The trick is to realize that you can only control the now you. Make the future you thankful for the action that the present you takes.

This could mean signing up for your first marathon or half marathon, hiring a coach, joining a yoga class, or cutting out sugar from your diet.

You’d be amazed by what your future self can become! This video explains how our MTA coaches help runners go from the present version of themselves to a stronger, faster, more confident version.

In This Video

To learn more about how MTA Coaching Services work and to check availability see this page. https://www.marathontrainingacademy.com/coaching