Which “you” is the most important?
There is only one “you.” However, there are three forms of “you”: Past, Current and Future.
Every single “past you” has contributed to what you see in the mirror each day and has formed the “current you.” For better or for worse, “past you” no longer exists. He/She is gone forever but often dictates the behavior of the “current you.” This is good when we do things like avoid drinking too much alcohol because we have learned that we don’t like the feeling of being hungover the next day. It can also be bad if we were to do something like avoid getting involved into a new relationship because the “past you” was once rejected or suffered a broken heart.
“Future you” also does not exist. He or she has not been created yet, but God willing, there are thousands of him or her out there for you to meet. While you are not ever guaranteed to experience “future you,” one thing is for certain: his or her fate solely depends on the actions (or inactions) of “current you”. Our founding fathers have provided us two different schools of thought in regards to how “current you” ought to act:
1- “Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow.” -Aaron Burr
2- “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” -Thomas Jefferson
It is no surprise to me that Jefferson’s career mightily surpassed that of Burr’s. Sure it may feel good in the moment to take the burden off “current you” and pass off your work/obligations to “future you;” however, this way of living puts “future you” at a significant disadvantage. He/She is then forced to begin each day in the red and must dedicate both time and effort just to get back to an even starting point. These are resources that could have been dedicated to accomplishing new things and maximizing your potential. When you choose to push a task until tomorrow, you are essentially placing limits on yourself, reducing your impact and thumbprint you will leave on this world.
The next time you are presented with a task, consider this: There is only one “current you” and the hope of thousands of “future yous” yet to live. Whose life do you want to make more enjoyable? Are you willing to sacrifice one for the good of the many? You must also answer the question that if “future you” never in fact arrives, can you rest easy for all of eternity knowing that you left some on the table? Take a lesson from the dead: “Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone”. -Pablo Picasso
Coach Nelson holds a doctorate in sport and performance psychology and currently serves as a high school football coach. He has worked for multiple professional sport franchises, a Fortune 100 Company, a division 1 athletic departments and has won numerous awards for his LEADership abilities.
His mission is to positively influence the world through Love, Effort, Attitude and Discipline (#LEAD). To learn more about the LEAD philosophy follow him on Twitter Levi Nelson or reach out via email at rln10@zips.uakron.edu He’d love to learn about or help you in your journey!
