People Are Sharing The Helpful Little Habits They Do To Help Out "Future Me," And Several Of These Are Lifesavers
If you're not in the habit of doing things to help out your future self, it can seem overwhelming figuring out where to start. Recently, people on Reddit shared the simple habits they've picked up that their future selves are going to love, and it's full of great ideas! Here are some of the top comments:
1."I always clean my apartment on Thursday, so when I come home from work on Friday evening, I can immediately start to relax and enjoy the weekend in a nice and tidy home."
—floppyoyster
"I like to clean up my house before going to sleep. I call it 'closing shift.' I'll set my clothes out and get the next day prepared that way."
—Cherokeerayne
2."I take about ten minutes in the morning to prep as much as I can for dinner. It makes it soooo much easier at night when I'm beat and keeps me from ordering out."
—Unlikely-Stage2224
3."Doing dishes right after eating. Future me always thanks past me for a clean sink."
—Fair_Signal3827
"I unload the dishwasher before I cook and load stuff as I go. That way, all I have to do is put the last plates in there and any leftover cookware and hit go."
—almostdonestudent
"I do this as I meal prep. Then all the week's meals are made, and the kitchen is clean. Future me appreciates it."
—fostermonster555
4."I write everything down right away so future me isn't stuck trying to remember what past me forgot."
—yummiibabe
5."Getting my clothes ready the night before for the next morning, in case I'm running late."
—Adventurous_Task_961
"I prepare most of my work backpack the previous evening — water bottle, laptop, wallet.
Also, the clothes/shoes I'm going to wear.
So next morning I get dressed easily, pick up bike and backpack, and am out the door 5 minutes after my bathroom routine."
—magicmulder
6."Make a game out of taking my meds so I actually remember if I've taken them or not. It's nothing regular, just things I make up in the moment, like stacking them up, sorting by size, throwing them up and catching them in my mouth. If I forget to take them, it ruins my day. If I accidentally take them twice, it ruins the day even more."
—Material_Ad9848
7."Going to the gym. Mobility exercises. I'm in my mid-30s and I don't wanna suffer in my 40s and beyond."
—HappyOrca2020
"Coming from someone who recently entered his 40s and exercised consistently in those mid-30s: good strategy.
Not only do I generally feel better than many of my peers seem to feel, but I have become addicted to the exercise and now enjoy it. My only complaint is that I wrecked hard skiing and had to get a rotator cuff repair, so I'm stuck twiddling my thumbs at home for a summer."
—UnprovenMortality
8."Every spring I take $20 and put it in my big jacket and forget about it, so I get a nice surprise in October."
—TunaMeltEnjoyer
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9."Therapy. I'm dealing with my shit at 33 so hopefully 40-year-old me can not be so terrified that hurting his children will be as easy at it was for his parents to hurt him and he can start a family. I want to start a family... I'm just too afraid that I will end up being the same kind of father mine was. I'm doing the work now so that neither future me nor my future children have to suffer."
—iskandar-
10."I load up the coffee maker at night so that half-awake me just has to push the 'start' button in the morning to get it going. I used the timer function of my coffee maker for a few days, but after hitting snooze an inconsistent number of times, I've discovered that it's easier not to set the timer."
—MGMan-01
11."When I save a file, I give it a ridiculously specific name, like '2025-06-16_MarketingReport_Q2_Final_ForReview.docx.' It takes an extra 5 seconds, but it saves 'Future Me' from 20 minutes of panicked searching and opening a dozen files named 'Report_final_v2_real_final.docx.'"
—zhangsihai
12."Sleeping early so that I don't wake up grumpy."
—crazylunaticfringe
"Just let Grumpy sleep in."
—golfdk
13."Flossing my teeth."
—chasington
"THIS. I read about a year ago about how flossing at least once or twice a week can lower the chance of having a stroke later on, and it's become part of my regular routine since."
—Dangerous_Panda5255
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14."I always keep extras of certain things on hand that I don't want to run out of. Washing up liquid, toilet paper, soap, hand soap, shampoo, that sort of thing. It makes me feel safer knowing that the moment I finish one, there is another waiting for me."
—zeprfrew
15."I'm a nurse. I've been wearing compression socks since I graduated, so I won't need varicose vein surgery at 40. Legs are looking great 10 years in!"
—frannieees
16."I make my bed every morning. Future me walks into a tidy room and feels slightly less chaotic."
—Madeleine2023
"i always say making the bed sets the tone for the day. I try to make it every day, so I know the day is gonna be tidy and productive. It's a good mental trick, and it's nice to have a freshly made bed when I'm ready to knock out at night."
—Talmadge_Mcgooliger
17."Sunscreen on my face so I don't age quickly."
—TheOnePoseidon
"The last time I got badly sunburned was at a football game in 2016. It was cold out that morning, so I didn't think of putting on sunscreen, and my face was burnt to a crisp. I had to take a day off work so as not to scare everybody with how bad it looked.
From that day onward, I always use sunscreen if I am going to be outside, even if it's cool out, even if there are clouds."
—RVelts
18."I have a general rule that if I can do something now, I do it now so I don't forget to do it later. Because I absolutely will forget to do that later."
—bigloser42
19."Started reading books. I wanted to improve my vocabulary and become an eloquent speaker (English is my second language)."
—Appropriate_Fee867
20."I maintain cleaning schedules for major parts of my house. I sweep/vacuum my floors once a week, vacuum my stairs twice a month, and I clean my kitchen as I cook my meals. I kept the cleaning habits going since I got my house almost two years ago. Just keeping up with tidying up takes a few minutes out of my day, keeps my house clean, and saves future me from dealing with a mess when I come home from a long day at work."
—robo-dragon
21."Not drinking alcohol."
—Ill_Donut555
"Cannot believe the difference this has made for my health, energy, appearance, mood, organization, punctuality, and more. 10/10 recommend, even if it's the hardest thing you've ever done."
—bebe_inferno
22."Sit with discomfort and take the time to genuinely process not-fun feelings."
—lanais_
"This is so important, and too many people don't do it."
—RainierCherree
23."Before every vacation/trip, I make sure I wash my laundry and bedding and tidy around the house so when I come home, I have a fresh bed to sleep in, clean clothes, and a tidy apartment. It feels like someone else cleaned my home for me, lol."
—Spiritual-Promise402
24."Putting $20 in an envelope for each kid every week so we always have money for holiday gifts. Even if money is tight, those envelopes are untouchable."
—MaxMcLarenTBSL
25."Pack my lunch. I'm not sure how the math works out, but 10 minutes at night saves me 20 minutes in the morning."
—chickentender777
26."Wait to make any purchase for 14 days, to consider if I truly need it, to see if I still want it when the fancy wears off, to think on if I'll keep needing it or if I can borrow it somewhere, to look up if there's alternatives if I do need it which might be more affordable, and finally if I still want it then to purchase it for as little as possible. It has saved me a lot of money."
—Saratje
27.And finally, "Try hard, do my best, and trust in present me's choices. As long as I can sleep well every night, knowing that I tried, even if it ends up failing."
—radiantsteak1337
What's a habit you've picked up to help your future self? Share it with us in the comments or the anonymous form below:
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