Potential futures start off first as possibilities. You do not have to be aware of these these possibilities for them to exist. This step, at the very least, eliminates the impossible futures.
Probabilities are assigned to these possibilities. As the possibilities approach, the distribution of weight on them shifts towards one option with certainty. Once again, you do not have to be aware of the distribution.
Probable futures become plausible futures. This is the point at which your awareness enters the picture. Note that you can entertain unlikely and impossible options as plausible ones. Where these plausibilities stray from the underlying probabilities, they become delusional. This is also the point at which the application of free will gets to shape the probability distribution.
When the sempiternal present arrives, the probability distribution is sampled and reality is determined. The resulting reality is most likely to be the most probable future, and the resulting perception of it is most likely to be the most plausible future. Ideally the two closely match each other, but there's no requirement that they do.