Champions Don’t Work for Themselves. They Work for Someone Better.
The question caught him off guard.
“What does the version of you on September 20th need you to do today?”
I was working with an athlete who was struggling with daily mental training.
The work was necessary, but results weren’t immediately visible. Some days felt productive, others felt like going through the motions.
That single question shifted his entire approach.
The “Someone Else”
There’s a version of you waiting on a specific date in the future.
Maybe it’s September 20th. Maybe it’s the day of your biggest presentation. Maybe it’s the launch of your company. Maybe it’s the championship game.
That person – that future version of you – is counting on what you do today.
Elite performance is built on working for the person you’ll be when performance counts. Not for who you are today.
The athlete I was working with picked a specific date. We visualized that future version of themselves. More confident. More prepared. More capable.
Then we asked a simple question:
“What does that person need you to do today?”
The Future Self Protocol™
Here’s how the Future Self Protocol™ works:
Step 1: Pick Your Date
Choose a specific future moment when you have a high-stakes moment. Not “someday” or “eventually.” A real date on the calendar.
Step 2: Meet Your Future Self
Visualize that version of you. How do they carry themselves? How do they think? What capabilities do they have that you don’t have yet?
Step 3: Work Backwards
Ask: “What does that person need me to do today to become them?”
Step 4: Feed Them
Every action becomes an investment in that future person. Every choice either feeds them or starves them.
Why This Works
Your brain is wired to prioritize immediate rewards over future benefits. It’s called temporal discounting. The further away a reward is, the less valuable it seems.
But when you make your future self real and specific, something powerful happens. That distant goal becomes a present relationship.
You don’t have to work towards an abstract future. Instead you start working for someone specific who’s counting on you.
The athlete I worked with described it perfectly:
“I can see him waiting for me on that date. I want him to be able to reach out, give me a high five, and say ‘Thank you for doing these small daily actions, because look at how I’m built now.’”
The CEO Test
What would the CEO version of you in 12 months want you to do today?
Skip the revenue call because it’s uncomfortable? Or have the conversation because that’s what leaders do?
Avoid strategic planning because urgent tasks feel more important? Or invest the time because that’s what builds the company your future self will run?
Put off the difficult team conversation because it’s easier today? Or address it now because the leader you’re becoming needs that skill?
Same challenges. Completely different source of motivation.
When you’re working for your future self, the choice becomes clear.
You’re not asking:
“What do I feel like doing?”
Instead you’re asking:
“What does the person I’m becoming need me to do?”
How To Make the Relationship With Your Future Self Stick
The power of this protocol is in making the relationship real.
Write a letter from your future self. What would that person tell you about the work you’re doing today? What would they thank you for? What would they wish you had done differently?
Set up visual reminders. Put the date somewhere you’ll see it daily. Make that future moment feel as real as today.
Check in regularly. Ask yourself: “Am I feeding my future self or starving them with this choice?”
The Daily Practice
Here’s what happens when you consistently practice this:
Daily actions stop feeling like obligations and start feeling like investments. The grind becomes purposeful. Motivation becomes automatic because you’re working for someone who’s counting on you.
The athlete I worked with transformed their entire approach to training. Instead of asking “Do I feel like doing this today?” they started asking “What does my future self need me to do?”
Their work didn’t get easier. But their discipline became unshakeable.
Keeping Your Future Self Present Every Day
Your future self is either thanking you or cursing you for today’s choices.
They’re either saying “Thank you for doing the work when it was hard.” or “Why didn’t you prepare me for this moment?”
Elite performers understand that every day is a chance to feed the person they’re becoming.
Every workout feeds your future fitness. Every difficult conversation feeds your future leadership. Every strategic decision feeds your future success.
Every action you take – or don’t – is affecting your future self. The question is, will you feed them or starve them?
That version of you waiting on a specific date is counting on what you do today.
Don’t let them down.
Be Bold. Take Action. Leave a Mark.
Todd Herman
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