A question that enables us to envision a future scenario—in order to help with a present-day decision—could be thought of as a “crystal ball” question. Such questions are worth asking because we have a tendency to focus too much on the here and now. This inclination toward short-term thinking causes us to focus on immediate preferences while ignoring long-term aims and consequences. One way to counter it is to try to imagine how we might feel about something in the future. “Good decision-making is tied to our ability to anticipate future emotional states,”60 says Ed Batista, an executive coach
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