Your Future Self Will Thank You

Elements of Strong Decision (Part 2/5)

In August of last year, two partners and I broke ground on our first residential development: a two-unit project in Seattle. We remodeled an existing single-family home and built a new stand-alone home in the backyard, designating the structures as condos so they could be sold separately. (We sold 'em both!) My entire career I’d been a 'tech' guy. So, what the h*ll was I doing taking on an intensive real estate project like this? Why not just invest in the S&P?

What may have appeared to be a random and needlessly risky decision to folks in my circle — was an intentional step towards a future version of myself. I was backcasting, a strategy for navigating uncertainty popularized by Annie Duke, psychology Ph.D. and poker champion. Whereas value alignment (see installment one) helps us build conviction from a present-day foundation, backcasting draws clarity from a future ideal.

Working backwards from the version of you that 'made it' to the next stage, ask yourself: What choices did that person make along the way? What were the specific experiences lived, jobs done, challenges faced, places explored that they would be thankful for? When you consult this future self, does this decision pass muster?

I’ll reiterate that specificity is important here. One might be compelled to simplify the answer: my future self will thank me for making as much money as possible to give me more options — but you can’t buy things like confidence, sense of purpose, discernment, or trusting relationships.

My wife and I see our future selves designing and constructing a custom home. Search 'Japandi' for a nice visual. Even if we win the lottery and assemble the most aesthetic mood board of all time, if that’s all we have — the process will still be riddled with question marks, self-doubt, and plenty of moments to get taken advantage of. I asked myself, what kind of person has a high probability of building a home they truly love and keeping their cool during the process?

Well… they probably have experience building trust with agents, acquiring property, conveying a vision to architects, navigating permitting constraints, and hiring top-notch builders. This person has close proximity to or direct experience with a build or at least an extensive remodel. Not only have they seen the process, but they’ve gone on that emotional journey before.

I’ll be incredibly thankful for lessons learned during my Seattle condo project, when I get the opportunity to realize the Japandi home.

I’m helping folks apply backcasting to their goals at decisionjoy.com :)