We put things off if we don’t feel the consequences. So how do we break the habit?

Sometimes we don’t just procrastinate, we actually won’t do something if we don’t immediately feel the consequences. If I don’t brush my teeth tonight, will it matter? Tomorrow I’ll feel the same, but in the long run it might make a difference.

Besides a stricter brushing regimen, one way to make people realize those long-term consequences is to show them in real-time. What if your toothbrush tracked how often you used it and could digitally render an image on your bathroom mirror of how your teeth will look in 20 years? It’s not a pretty picture. But it might motivate you.

So if we can’t make people feel the consequences of putting something off, maybe we can help them realize those consequences by showing them.