Most of us make decisions today without ever consulting the one person most affected by them: our future self.
I’ve been sitting with that idea a lot since hearing from Dr. Hal Hershfield, Professor of Behavioral Decision Making at UCLA Anderson and author of Your Future Self: How to Make Tomorrow Better Today. Dr. Hershfield joined one of Mainstay’s recent webinars and gave us one of those rare gifts in higher ed: a psychological concept that isn’t just academically fascinating — it’s practically useful for helping people make better decisions.
Hal Hershfield, Ph.D.
Professor of Marketing and Behavioral Decision Making at UCLA Anderson School of Management
Here’s the short version:
Your future self is you, just later. But your brain doesn’t treat them that way.
In fact, as Dr. Hershfield explained, the neural patterns we activate when imagining our future self look a lot like the ones we use when thinking about a stranger. So when you’re deciding whether to study for an exam or scroll on your phone, that voice saying “you’ll regret this later” isn’t just annoying — it’s functionally unfamiliar.
That’s why Dr. Hershfield suggests a new frame: instead of pretending we’re always the same person across time, we should treat our future self like we’d treat someone we care about.
“If you think of your future self as a close friend — someone you’re emotionally connected to — you’re more likely to make decisions today that support them.”
This might sound obvious, but it has deep implications — especially in higher ed.
What it means for students (and those who support them)
Dr. Hershfield’s research showed that students who feel more connected to their future selves are more likely to get better grades, make healthier choices, and even save more money. But here’s where it gets interesting: that connection isn’t fixed. It can be strengthened.
There are three practical strategies Dr. Hershfield outlined that we’re starting to explore with our partners at Mainstay:
1. Make the future self feel real.
This could be as simple as writing a letter to your future self, or imagining where you’ll be in five years. Dr. Hershfield even ran a study where people were more likely to save money if they saw a digitally aged photo of themselves. The more vividly you can picture your future self, the more likely you are to want to help them.
We’ve been piloting versions of this concept using conversational AI — including a feature where students can “chat” with a future version of themselves who’s already graduated. Think of it like a choose-your-own-adventure conversation designed to help them make intentional choices today.
2. Add commitment devices.
These are guardrails that protect you from… well, yourself. That might mean setting a public goal (Dr. Hershfield mentions a website where failing to meet your commitment results in a donation to a cause you don’t support). Or it could be something as simple as telling a friend, “Text me tomorrow to make sure I filled out the FAFSA.”
These little commitments don’t just increase follow-through — they reduce the cognitive load of remembering or deciding in the moment.
3. Reframe sacrifices as gifts.
Let’s say you drag yourself out of bed to go for a run. In the moment, it feels like a sacrifice. But if you think of it as honoring the effort your past self already put in — or doing something kind for your future self — the sacrifice becomes a gesture of care.
Or as Dr. Hershfield puts it: sometimes we have to think of our future self to change our past self. That loop — caring forward and backward — is what creates lasting change.
Why it matters now
Right now, students are facing overwhelming choices: what to study, how to pay for it, whether it’s even worth it. The answers won’t come from lecturing them about “long-term consequences” — that’s future-self talk, and most students are barely on speaking terms with their future self.
But what if we could help them build that relationship?
That’s the real insight Dr. Hershfield shared: when students feel a connection to who they’re becoming, they make better decisions today. And when we design systems — or support conversations — that make that future self feel closer, clearer, and worth showing up for, we make it easier for students to stay the course.
That’s where Mainstay comes in. We don’t just send reminders — we help people build relationships with the version of themselves they’re working toward. One message, one decision, one conversation at a time.