How are you taking care of your future self?
For me, it often begins with little kindnesses that make me smile before the day even starts. Like waking up to find a brand-new pod already placed in my Keurig, the water tank filled and ready to go. All I have to do is press a button, and the glorious smell of coffee wafts through my tiny apartment.
Or, instead of fumbling bleary-eyed through my bathroom vanity for contact lenses, I love it when I’ve set them out the night before—left eye, right eye—ready for me to start the day with ease.
These are small, thoughtful gifts I leave for myself.
But there are bigger ways we look after our future selves, too.
As James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, reminds us: “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” Small acts compound into big outcomes, often in ways we don’t realize until much later.
I remember when my mother’s doctor told her—at about the same age I am now—that she needed to start moving, or she would risk frailty later in life. She tried mall walking for a few weeks, but the habit didn’t stick. The years passed, and eventually, she needed both a walker and oxygen.
I think of her often when I’m strength training or doing Zumba. Every squat, every bead of sweat is an act of love for the life I want to live tomorrow. I smile because I know I’m building strength and resilience for my future self.
Growing older, to me, has come to mean growing better—wiser, stronger, more intentional.
Each hard thing I’ve ever done has left a touchstone of resilience inside me, reminding me if I did it once, I can do it again.
Sometimes, you don’t even realize you’re making provision for your future self until years later.
As the first person in my family to go to college, I mistakenly thought it was normal to take 18 credits every semester. I didn’t know most students capped themselves at 15! I just hustled along, doing what seemed necessary. But that “mistake” meant I graduated a full semester early—saving tuition, starting my career sooner, and setting myself up with momentum I never would have planned. What felt like simply “keeping up” turned out to be an incredible gift to my future self.
It reminds me of a quote by Annie Dillard: “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
Day by day, credit by credit, squat by squat—what we do today writes the story of our tomorrow.
When I speak on stages, I often say, "If you had one car to drive for the rest of your life, how would you care for it?"
Of course, you’d use the best fuel, change the oil, check the tires, keep it washed and waxed. And yet—we do have one vehicle for life: our bodies. This “meat suit,” as I sometimes call it, is the only one we get. How we care for it now—through movement, nutrition, rest, and kindness—shapes how it will respond later.
Yes, there will always be twists in the road and things we can’t plan for. But that doesn’t negate the impact of small, daily actions of self-care that ripple forward in time.
One week, when my calendar looked light, I batched and scheduled a whole month’s worth of social media posts. Days later, I found out a friend was coming to visit me in San Diego for two weeks. Because I’d already done the work, I could be fully present—showing her the sights, enjoying the moments—without worrying about neglecting my business.
That’s the beauty of it: when there’s flow, go with it. When you have energy, invest it.
When you have time, sow seeds for tomorrow.
Because if you love your present self, you’ll make provision for your future self.
Or, as Maya Angelou wisely said: “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” Both today and tomorrow benefit when we choose wisely in the moment.
So—what’s one small act of kindness you can do today that will make tomorrow’s you smile?
