Regardless of whether something is good for us in the long run, we tend to prioritise present needs over future benefits. We need tools to bring future and present us closer together.

By using if-then plans and precisely planning out daily habits, we can override whims and convert them to healthier routines by making it easier to do well.

For instance, instead of skipping the gym session and taking a call with a friend at home and, we could instead say IF I'm calling a friend, THEN I'll take a walk at the same time. This is the reverse of Temptation Bundling, where treats are unlocked only by doing the hard stuff.

Another example would be a banking app with a "Smart-Autosave" setting where IF it's the week after payday, when cash is more abundant, THEN it'll autosave round-ups with an increased multiplier for that week. Similarly, the week before payday, it could reduce autosaving proportionally. Doing so would boost saving and reduce the pain of saving when there is little money left.

This Pairing can be useful for achieving fitness or financial goals or even to compensate for boring administrative work that nobody wants to do right now.