Prospection: rather than remaining tethered to a past over which we no longer have any control, we can visualize a number of possible futures and choose the course of action that guides us toward the one we find most desirable.
Most of us don't guide ourselves toward our most desirable future because we're too busy coping with the immediate concerns of daily life to clearly see the course that would take us there.
Are you committing yourself to avoidance-driven goals (like doomscrolling through the news) that serve to distract and knock you off course instead of approach-driven goals that nudge you toward your ideal future self (like learning more about your chosen career so you can do your best work and get promoted)?
Connecting with your long-term future self to make the decisions that speed you toward this person may require extra effort because humans are living longer than ever before and probably didn't evolve to think far beyond immediate survival.
Why it's important to envision your future self as an actual different person -- with different thoughts and motivations -- than you are today rather than just a later iteration of your current self.