Apple and my future self

People are notoriously bad at predicting the thoughts and feelings of their future selves.

Consider these facts:

After spending a fortune on music on the iTunes store, I no longer listen to any of the songs I purchased, and haven’t in years.

The last time I bought a Mac, I opted for the older model with an ethernet jack (thinking that it was a better deal.) With reliable wifi, I no longer need ethernet.

I bought a Series 1 Apple Watch 6 months after it launched. 6 months later, I sold it.

After telling my friends that the Apple magic mouse was the “best designed” wireless mouse on the planet, I now use a Logitech mouse that costs half as much and feels twice as comfortable.

If you find yourself in a similar position, here’s a neat exercise to try. Go to futureme.org and type up a well written note describing a few predictions about your future. You could write about likes and dislikes, your habits and preferences, or how you think specific things will pan out. Then send it to your future self, say, 1 to 3 years into the future.

If the reality you described is a lot different from the world you now inhabit, it’s probably a good sign you need to think bigger and tighten your belt. You’re no better fortune-teller any more than the rest of us.