The daily New York Times email led off with a bit about self improvement related to people "doing favors for their future selves." We have been using that exact phrase here for ages. There are big picture applications that we talk about in terms physical and financial benefits but also very immediate but mundane things like backing into a parking spot so it is easier to get out and doing the dishes tonight instead of letting everything sit in the sink overnight.
Doing stuff now versus having it sitting there waiting for you, more the dishes and pots than the parking spot example, resonates with me. I really dislike having a bunch of work that I need to get done just accumulating, waiting for me for when I probably won't feel like doing it. Note that I don't know if the link will work, it's what came up when I clicked view in browser.
The writeup was pretty superficial looking first at the emotional tradeoff of making sacrifices now for an uncertain future and then wonder when the payoff comes for doing favors for your future self.
I figured this out early. Where I think it came from is my grandmother was a great baker. My favorite thing she made was mint chocolate cake with mint frosting. The frosting was the best part and my older siblings always told me to save the frosting for last, save the best for last. I started hearing that at a very young age and so it stuck. Save the best for last made it easier for me to think about favors for my future self along with a few other examples that I won't bore you with.
It's also akin to playing the long game which has worked out well. From the fire department, I coveted one of these trucks from when the Forest Service first started buying them.
Financially, this was nowhere close to possible, not even a remote possibility for us. It took about 15 years but it finally happened in 2023 and I'm still young enough physically that I'll be operating it for years to come. Then we got another one.
One form of payoff, from this point I will call it optionality, is getting what you want and still being able to use it or do it or benefit from it. This is probably physical optionality.
Another form of self created optionality is either wanting to do something different (work related) or having your hand forced at work without being left desperate and scrambling, forced to do work you don't want to do which is probably financial optionality.
Physical optionality is created by regular vigorous exercise and financial optionality is created by making good decisions related to saving and spending. When I turned 50, I said being that age which implies having some experience, with a little money in the bank while still being able to get it done physically is a great spot to be in and that I imagined the 60's would be the same. I'll be 60 in April and that appears to be panning out which is not surprising. I already pack tested for the 2026 fire season which is the annual physical requirement of hiking three miles with a 45 pound pack in 45 minutes or less. Sixty is old for this but not elite, like many things, success on this front comes from understanding the task and marrying that with your capabilities.
As far as the time tradeoff, the physical optionality doesn't seem like much of a tradeoff. Go find @mangan150 on Twitter. He preaches only lifting twice a week for about 30 minutes each session and then walking regularly. He also includes HIIT in his lifting sessions too. And for the little time actually needed when done with the right intensity, you're healthier and feel better now, not just in the future. I lift twice a week for closer to 50 minutes and I jump rope almost every day (less than ten minutes). Our dogs don't like to go on real hikes too often but we take them on a mile and half loop around our house that climbs a total 400 feet or 600 feet depending on how we go, we do that pretty regularly. It all takes very little time
Financially I would say living in less house than you can afford and not replacing cars every three years, I've been driving my Tundra since 2007. There is emotional benefit to going through with a little bit of a financial cushion which is a benefit now and in the future. The house angle may not stand up anymore. I perceive buying a house has become more difficult. Beyond the headlines, which I don't know what to make of, I know that were I live there are no more starter house in terms of cost. In terms of size, yes, but not dollars. Tucson has plenty of houses in the $300,000-$400,000 range which is much more accessible for younger people who make a pretty good living even if they're not killing it.
All of these concepts serve to make life easier. If life is easier, it stands to reason that life would have less negative types of stress like worrying about money which makes life easier (yes that is circular).
Speaking of fire department stuff, we replaced our old brush truck with a new one.
I may have told this story already but short version, we had to replace the truck. One of our guys had the idea of lifting the pump, water tank and all the rest off the back of the old brush truck and putting it on the new Dodge. This idea probably saved us $150,000. That's the truck, being picked up from getting the graphics applied this week.
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