17 Dec 2025 · 3 min
Brian Johnson uses removing socks mindfully, taking an extra 1.43 seconds to keep them right side out, as a favor to his future self. An fMRI study shows people whose brain responds to both current and future selves have greater discipline. Small daily acts build the connection between who you are now and who you'll be.
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another heroic plus one. Today we're going to talk about socks. Socks. Yes, socks. John Wooden would be proud. Let's get straight to work. You know how when you take off your socks, you can do it in a way that leaves them right side out, or you can do it in a way that leaves them inside out. But then, you know how when you do your laundry and are putting those socks back into pairs, you can either have to make the inside out ones right side out or. Or you can just match them up immediately if they're already right side out. Well, these days I'm paying more attention to how I'm taking my socks off and using it as a tiny little practice to think about my future self and do that guy a little favor. More specifically, rather than hastily taking my socks off and throwing them into the laundry basket inside out. I take the extra 1.43 seconds to more mindfully take them off so they're right side out. As I do that, I'm thinking about my future self and basically trying to do that guy a little favor while deliberately strengthening the connection between my current self and that future version of me. It's become a fun little micro practice. It's inspired by a little story I often tell when I'm chatting about the art and science of self mastery and discipline during my keynotes for all the heroic workshops we've been doing lately. Here's the study story. Bring people into a lab, put them into an FMRI machine, ask them to think about themselves and a part of their brain called their self center will light up. It's the same for everybody. Then have them think about a stranger and a different part of their brain will light up associated with someone other than themselves. It's the same for everybody. Then. And this is the point of the study. Ask the individuals in this study to think about their future selves while hanging out in that FMRI machine and let's see which part of their brains light up. Get this. For some people, the self center will light up. For other people, the stranger part of their brain will light up when they think of their future self. Isn't that fascinating? Get this. The people whose self center lights up for both their current and future selves have more discipline than those whose current and future selves don't match. This is why showing people an image of an aged version of themselves will lead to higher investments in retirement accounts. It's also why the current version of me takes the extra 1.43 seconds to make sure my socks are right side out. So I can do my future self a little favor. While strengthening the connection between current me and future me. While strengthening my discipline to do the right thing whether I feel like it or not. So I can forge antifragile confidence with every action I take. It's also why I do the same thing for my underwear. And that's today's plus one. Think of your future self as you take off your socks. Let's use the micro moments of life to forge excellence so we can activate our heroic potential and fulfill our destinies today.
