Take Care of Your Tomorrow Self

Would you thank your Yesterday Self?

If you could talk to the person you were yesterday, would you say "thank you for making today easier,” or would you ask them, "Why did you leave this for me to deal with today?"

Would you raise your voice and wonder why your Yesterday Self left you such a mess? Would you shake your fist in frustration, wishing you didn’t have to deal with this nonsense? Don’t they know that your Today Self has things to do? Your Today Self has its own checklist and doesn’t have time to clean up all the messes of yesterday.

I came across a quote by author Chuck Hogan on this idea. He writes:

This idea, often called the "Tomorrow Man Theory," is very simple: take care of your Tomorrow Self by doing today what you wish your Yesterday Self had done for you.

The Daily Reset

I live a very structured life. Why? Because I have to.

Working three jobs and constantly being on the go, I’m almost forced to stick to a strict routine—sometimes for no other reason than preserving my sanity. Because of this, I eat on the go for 90% of my meals. My least favorite part of the day used to be what I call "The Daily Reset."

Here’s how it goes:
Come home from whatever activities the day has brought, walk the dog, and clean all the dishes I’ve used throughout the day: my shaker bottle for my morning drink, my to-go coffee cup, Tupperware from my morning eggs and cereal, containers from lunch, snacks, and pre-workout yogurt, silverware, and anything else I’ve used just to name a few. Then, once everything is clean, I have to dry the dishes and repack everything for tomorrow. It’s not difficult…But it takes a solid 30 minutes and is, frankly, annoying. And sometimes, I’m just not feeling it. So I go to bed without doing the Daily Reset.

Can you guess what happens the next morning?

I’m fuming—rushing around the house at 6:40 because I have to pack my lunchbox with what seems like enough food for at least 3 people, walk the dog, and somehow get out the door by 6:45 if I want to beat traffic. I stand there, frustrated and annoyed, asking my Yesterday Self, "Why did you do this to me?" Some nights, I go to bed knowing that I’ll have to do the Daily Reset when I wake up—and I sleep in dread of the coming morning.

I feel rushed, overwhelmed, and unprepared for the day ahead when I don’t take care of my Tomorrow Self.

But when I do reset everything? My morning is smooth sailing, a breeze to get everything together for the day, and I leave the house calmer, more relaxed, and in a better mood and mental state to conquer the day. It truly makes all the difference in the world when I take care of my Tomorrow Self, and I am always grateful the next morning.

Taking Care of Your Tomorrow Self

Every day, you are given the opportunity to choose a new existence. We die every night and wake up a new person with new experiences ahead. When we take intentional actions that benefit our Tomorrow Self, when we look out for ourselves, we wake up feeling lighter and in better spirits.

This principle can be applied to any aspect of our lives—our physical wellness, our productivity at work, or our financial future.

Loving ourselves enough to prepare for the future—even if that future never comes—is the best gift we can give to our Tomorrow Self.

5 Ways to Support Your Tomorrow Self

1) Fuel your body properly.
Chuck Hogan puts it simply: "Eat a vegetable." We all know by now that fast food and highly processed foods are slowly killing us. Make a healthy swap. Instead of that loaded breakfast biscuit, eat something high in protein that will give you clean energy for the day.

2) Drink water.
You’ve been told since elementary school to drink water. So why aren’t you? Stop making excuses. Buy yourself a cute water bottle if you have to—just hydrate.

3) Go to sleep early.
Prioritizing your sleep is one of the best ways to support your Tomorrow Self. Life isn’t always easy—your future self deserves a full night’s rest to conquer the day.

4) Check off what you can today.
For anything you can’t finish, set yourself up for success tomorrow. Make the copies, open the book to the right page, wash the dishes. Do whatever you can today to make tomorrow easier.

5) Learn something new.
It doesn’t matter what it is. Read a book. Watch an educational video. Learn a new skill. Expanding your knowledge daily enhances your mind, creativity, and understanding of the world around us, allowing us to be better and more efficient in our daily lives.

Your Tomorrow Self Deserves This.

Taking care of your Tomorrow Self isn’t always easy.

But you deserve it. Your Tomorrow Self deserves it.

Stop sabotaging yourself. Don’t leave messes for Tomorrow to clean up.

Is your Tomorrow Self going to thank you…or curse you?

Share this with someone who needs to hear this today.

Until next time—Live Uninterrupted. 

~Coleman