471-The Psychology Of Future Self

Monday, May 18, 2026Stephanie Dodier

The reason the non-diet approach didn't work isn't the approach. It's that the work stayed too surface level.


Most weight-neutral health coaching teaches behaviors. It doesn't touch identity. And without identity work — without building the version of yourself you are becoming — the old patterns always come back. This episode is about the piece that's been missing.


What you'll learn:

  • What future self work actually is and why it's grounded in behavioral science, not manifesting
  • The two phases of future self work — unintentional model first, future self construction second
  • Why the future self feels like a stranger and what neuroscience says about why
  • The specific socialization patterns that make this work harder for women
  • The daily question to use in micro-decisions to start aligning with who you are becoming


Mentioned in the show:

The Groundwork: https://program.stephaniedodier.com/groundwork

The Stranger Effect study: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2656877

Connecting to our future self & behavior change study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666518223000323

Beyond GLP-1 expert interview series: https://program.stephaniedodier.com/beyond-glp-1

Free Non-Diet Coaching Assessment: stephaniedodier.com/clientassessment