At 16, I was absolutely obsessed with Starship Troopers. Okay, so specifically, I was obsessed with the actor, Casper Van Dien, who played the main character. There was no one who could convince me he wasn’t the “hottest guy ever.” (Or at least in the top three—Chris O’Donnell and Chipper Jones rounded out my list.)

Fast forward to this past weekend: I went to Comic Con for the first time, and guess who was there—Casper Van Dien, in the flesh. My 16-year-old self would have been high-pitched screaming and jumping.

And yet, standing there in 2025, I could see him from a distance, and I just…didn’t care. Okay, I did take a long-distance video to post on Instagram, so I cared a little, BUT I could have paid just $50 to talk to and get a selfie with “the hottest guy ever,” but, meh, it didn’t seem worth it. 😬

Enter The End of History Illusion.

This psychological bias suggests that while we recognize we’ve changed from earlier versions of ourselves, we don’t grasp how much we’re going to change in the future.

We feel like who we are today is who we’re going to be for the rest of our lives. Like we’ve arrived at the final version of ourselves.

And THAT’S the illusion.

Think about it this way: When you were 20, you might’ve sworn up and down that you’d always love that one band, or that the cute heart tattoo on your lower back was something you’d treasure forever. But now? Maybe that music barely makes it onto your Spotify Wrapped, and that tattoo is something you’re in the process of lasering off. 👀

This doesn’t mean everything about you will change, or that you’ll regret every decision. It’s just that your current self is not as fixed and final as it may feel.

We assume our future selves will want and love all the same things we do now.

Spoiler: They won’t.

We fall for this illusion because our brains are better at remembering the past than envisioning the future. Looking back ten years, it’s easy to see how much we’ve changed, but picturing our future selves is more difficult. And because we struggle to imagine it, we subconsciously limit ourselves to what feels possible today—without realizing our future holds opportunities far beyond our current vision.

The reality is, we’re always evolving. Our celebrity crushes, our goals and dreams, even our personality and the things we consider core to who we are—none of them are as permanent as they seem.

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So, what do we do with this information?

1️⃣ First, we give ourselves permission to loosen our grip on certainty. Our values, our political views, our long-term plans—these feel immovable until we learn something new, meet someone who shifts our perspective, or have an experience that reshapes how we see the world.

The more we allow room for growth, the more we set ourselves up for becoming better versions of ourselves.

2️⃣ Second, we let go of the things we’ve outgrown without guilt. Just because something used to matter deeply to us doesn’t mean we have to carry it forever.

Changing your mind, your goals, or even your inner bestie circle doesn’t mean you’re flaky or starting over—it means you’re growing and opening yourself to new possibilities.

3️⃣ Finally, we dream bigger. Your future self is going to evolve in ways you can’t even imagine, so why not dream wildly? Most of us aren’t dreaming big enough because we unknowingly set goals based on who we are in the present, rather than who we’re actually capable of becoming.

Your future self is likely braver, bolder, and more capable than you could possibly picture right now. Give her something spectacular to step into.

Create your vision board with things that feel just a little (or a lot!) too audacious. Because chances are, your future self will thank you.

And if you’re looking for a guided experience in creating a vision board that’s rooted in neuroscience and designed to connect to your unique dreams, check out my recorded Ultimate Vision Board Workshop. By the end, you won’t just have a collage of pretty pictures—you’ll have a powerful, research-backed roadmap for manifesting the life you truly want.

“Human beings are works in progress that mistakenly think they’re finished.“
–Dan Gilbert (6-minute video: The psychology of your future self)

So, don’t leave me hanging, please tell me—who was YOUR teenage celebrity crush? And would you pay $50 for a selfie? 😆

– Nicole