The Magic Question: How to Make Life Easier for “Future You”
You may not know this about me, but I love to read! My favorite way to read is in a hammock while camping—ideally near an alpine lake in the summer. (Full disclosure: sometimes reading leads to a nap in that hammock.) I also love curling up near a warm fire on a snowy evening. Most often, though, you’ll find me reading before bed.
A Book That Stuck With Me
Of all the books I read this summer, one keeps coming to mind: The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi. Adachi outlines the idea of being a “lazy genius”—being genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don’t.
What surprised me most is how many of her 13 principles align beautifully with Executive Function skills. She basically wrote an Executive Function guide without calling it that! (I wonder if she knows.)
The “Magic Question” That Changes Everything
The principle that stuck with me most is what she calls The Magic Question:
“What can I do now to make life easier later?”
It’s simple but powerful. As a mom, my first thought was dinner. What can I do now—early in the day—to make dinner easier later? Maybe chop the veggies, make the salad dressing, or thaw the chicken.
Adachi argues that you can “magic question” just about anything.
And as an Executive Function coach, that immediately reminded me of something I tell my clients all the time:
“Be kind to future you.”
Be Kind to Future You
This mindset shift is a powerful metacognitive strategy—a way to think about your thinking and plan ahead with intention.
Here are a few examples I share with my students and coaching clients:
Future you will appreciate if you write important school dates on your calendar now.
Future you will appreciate if you put your backpack where it belongs (so you can find it later).
Future you will appreciate if you do the assignment now that’s due at the end of the week.
Future you will appreciate if you put your phone away for a while, so you can truly focus.
Future you will appreciate if you write down your to-dos instead of trying to remember them.
Future you will appreciate if you pack your lunch and set out clothes the night before.
Future you will appreciate if you finish your chores right after school instead of putting them off.
Each of these small actions makes life easier for “future you.”
That’s the magic of the question—it helps you pause and plan.
The Power of the Pause
Before we can make life easier for future us, we have to pause.
So much of daily life happens on autopilot—we’re moving from one thing to the next, often without thinking. But that quick pause creates space for choice.
It lets us ask, What can I do now to make life easier later?
And when we make that tiny shift, future us reaps the rewards.
Remember: Change Happens Little by Little
Being kind to future you doesn’t mean perfection. It means progress.
The smallest moments of preparation—laying out clothes, updating a calendar, or cleaning up a workspace—add up over time.
So pause, ask the Magic Question, and take one small action.
Future you will be so glad you did.
Sign up here to receive Carrie’s new Sunday email series, The Sunday Brain Boost. Simple strategies to help students thrive, one Sunday at a time.
Carrie Bonnett is a veteran teacher and Executive Function coach based in Bend, OR. Carrie works with students and families (and adults, too). Her coaching empowers students to thrive in life and in school, helps parents and teachers to better support their children, and guides adult to get on top of all that life requires. In addition to coaching, she is also an adjunct instructor for early-career teachers at University of Portland in Oregon. For more information, visit www.carriebonnett.com
