How a 10-Second Chat With My Future Self Changed My Life
A wise version of yourself is always at your fingertips — Image credit: Author
You might have heard this before: imagine a wiser, future version of your current self looking down at your current situation.
So often we run on autopilot. We wake up, make coffee, head to work. But what if you zoomed out and looked at yourself from a bird’s-eye view? How would you see your physical, mental, and emotional state?
I’m not asking you to judge your Snoopy pajamas. (You be the judge of that 😉️)
I’m asking you to put yourself in the driver’s seat and find your why. To understand the reason you’re doing what you’re doing. Go from automatic to manual. From muscle memory to mindfulness.
Turn off autopilot and live your life. Not for anyone else. For you.
And no I am not asking your to pack your bags and go on a long, long ride on your motorbike. You have responsibilities.
I am asking you to simply zoom out.
Zoom out of your head as if you are watching yourself from the third person. Imagine it right now.
A perfect visual for this is from the animated movie Ratatouille, when Remy is guided by the ghost of Chef Gusteau throughout the film. The chef isn’t really there, he’s just a figment of Remy’s imagination. But Remy is channeling everything he knows about Gusteau to make the best decision possible in the moment, trying to choose what the chef would choose if he were in Remy’s shoes.
Remy and Chef Gusteau from Ratatouille (2007), © Disney/Pixar. Still via Screen Rant.
Mindful in the now
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” — Ferris Bueller
This quote always rubbed me the wrong way. What do you mean stop and look around, I am living my life! But I realized I had to really stop and look around at the beauty in your life. Right at this moment.
It’s so easy to get caught in the next, when all you actually have is the now.
I was walking home the other day and I took a step back in my head (even though I was still walking forward) and asked myself: Where am I going? I knew I was walking home, but I was walking on autopilot.
I stopped, looked around, and took a deep breath. I checked in with my future self, hit reset, and suddenly I was walking with purpose.
With intention, mindfulness, and conviction.
Yes, I know I was just walking home to eat dinner. But I reminded myself of the bigger picture, my goals for that week and my reason for being, my purpose.
I then walked with some “pep in my step.” I imagined a wiser version of myself looking down on me, reminding me where I want to be!
I practiced mindfulness and all of a sudden I noticed my surroundings more, the sounds, the space around me. Even though I was simply walking down a street, I was able to visualize the destination on the GPS — this is your larger Why for being which itself creates purpose to all other aspects of your life. From walking, making breakfast, calling a loved one.
This might sound a bit silly, but I think imagining a wiser version of yourself is incredibly powerful and motivating.
I used to watch The Flash TV show on the CW where they were able to teleport different Barry Allens and characters from different Earths to get their advice or help.
I like to use this visual to imagine the very best version of myself in all of the multiverse. THAT’S who I am going to be. That’s me!
This also allows you the confidence to trust yourself and your gut when making decisions.
Recently, and I feel that this may be the case with others too, is you ask other people what they think, likely seeking validation or advice. We are human so we crave acceptance and validation. (Why do you think every girl I know owns a pair of white Nike Air Forces?)
Or you might default to asking ChatGBT a question you can probably ask yourself.
Before you ask someone else, try this:
Ask a wiser version of yourself. Take a deep breath and really imagine what they would say.
You know what you really want. You likely know yourself best!
You might surprise yourself at the answers you give yourself.
Try asking a wiser future you in different situations and environments.
Another trick is to imagine a wise version of yourself when at the gym or when working out. I find future Gabe to be incredibly inspiring and motivating. Plus, I know exactly how many reps I can really push myself that day.
I know exactly how I feel, what time I went to bed last night, my current mood and energy level, what I had for breakfast, anything that will affect my workout.
Personal trainers are great, but they don’t know your exact current state better than you do.
Whether it’s going one more rep, going faster on a run, or correcting my posture so it is proper — I imagine a future me acting as my personal trainer giving me advice, and I quickly correct my form and posture as best I can from memory.
(If you’ve never been helped by a trainer or a friend with proper form when working out, swimming, or doing any technical movement, I highly recommend seeking an expert to show you how to do it correctly.)
Diagnosing the problem
We so often get lost in diagnosing the problem that we forget the reason behind it in the first place. We spiral in our heads, trying to think of the perfect solution, instead of asking a simple question:
What would a wiser, future me do right now?
A lot of the time, we already have a sense of what has to be done. Not always, but sometimes you absolutely need to research, ask experts, get help, and gather real insight and information.
But we know more than we think we know.
The more you practice zooming out and asking future you for input, the more you start to trust your own experience, your own judgement, and your own positive inner voice.
Walking With Future You
So how do you actually do this on a daily basis? No, you don’t need to have full-on monologues with your future self out-loud in public. 😄️
Big change starts with small habits:
- When you’re about to scroll your phone for just one more post, imagine future you saying: “Time to stop.” Open your book instead and read a page.
- When you’re at the gym and tempted to tap that notification, stop, go back to the rep.
- When you’re stuck on a decision,
Ask: What would totally relaxed future me recommend me advise?
Then take one tiny step in that direction.
Imagine this best version of yourself from the multiverse, and then, one choice at a time, you start acting like them today. Not perfectly and not all at once.
Just a little bit closer, over and over again.
The cool part is this: Future you is not a fantasy character.
It’s the same you.
Walk with them now and let them guide you.
Do that enough times, and one day you’ll look around and realize:
You didn’t just imagine future you.
You became them.
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I really appreciate it!
Originally published December 11, 2025 | © Gabe Silverstein 2025
