You get three goes at thinking about something: before it starts, somewhere in the middle, and once it is over. Most of us only ever use the last one, which is the least useful of them.

What the research says

A review of how episodic foresight develops in children separates it carefully from planning, from delay of gratification and from remembering to do things later, treating them as related but distinct. That supports spreading your attention across different moments rather than expecting one habit to cover everything. It is a developmental review, so it describes the abilities rather than testing a routine built on them.

Strength of evidence: one line of research. A single study, or a theoretical account.