We say that hindsight is 20\/20 in that looking back on an experience already lived you can make some pretty intelligent, informed decisions, right? You can say what you would have done because you’ve already seen what you did do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But this looking back also has the down side of regret and remorse. Knowing what you know now you look back with even more information and pronounce your actions as wrong (while forgetting you didn’t have this new information). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, in a way you tell yourself what you should have done, and you may from time to time ask yourself “Why did i do that\u2014I should have known better!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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But there is<\/em> someone you can ask a question to\u2014the person who has yet to take action. Instead of asking your past self, do something radically different. And before we go on, have you ever heard the podcast about notes from the future<\/a>? You may notice I enjoy thinking fourth-dimensionally to solve problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously you can’t actually ask your past self a question, but you can participate in a thought experiment. If you place yourself in the mindset of who you were ten years ago\u2014what you were going through, the limited information you had (as compared to now), the differences in social norms, available technology, etc., you can ask yourself what you would do or what your past self feels about something. It’s an experiement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, what if you asked your future self? Sounds odd? Sounds like yelling into the void? It’s not. it’s a way of this past self to communicate with the self you will become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try it, and listen to more on the podcast.<\/p>\nThe future self<\/h2>\n\n\n\n