Live in the Future to Achieve the Future

Future Thinking is a common space of entrepreneurs and artists - to see things the way they can be - the pull from the future.

Many people tend to go through life pushed from the past. Entrepreneurs are good at pulling from the future, to see the opportunities within and beyond the current conditions.

Use that visionary ability to be in the moment of the future and explore how you got there.  See the end result and work back from it.

An example of how future thinking works was when John Bertrand asked his crew, during the 1983 Americas Cup Challenge, “what does winning the Cup feel like?” That Australian team went onto captured a Cup that had been held, in the USA, for 132 years.

Ask Yourself

Here are some questions for you to ask your ‘future self’, to motivate current self to pull from the future.

* Can you imagine yourself in a Future scenario when your boldest enterprise is now a reality?

* What if you could send yourself a message from this Future; how would it be sent (eg: a postcard or a pod cast, or a mural on some underground wall?

* Is there a metaphor or analogy that expresses it simply? What is the story? Is there an over-arching vision or theme like triumph over adversity or serendipity or breakthrough?

* When would you receive this message and who would it be addressed to?

* Is there music playing at that moment and what is it? Is there anyone else with you when it arrives?

* Do you recognise the message and welcome it? What were your challenges and what are they now?

* With the gift of hind-sight, can you see the opportunities gained and lost?

* Who engaged with you or visa versa? What does success look like?

* * * The Next Step * * *

Now you’ve imagined and created a scenario of your bold future, what are you going to do with it?

Record your future self and use it to motivate your current self towards your future. You could share this with someone you respect who can help you figure out how to make it happen.

This can be the basis of a plan. In the process of planning keep your sights on your vision of a positive future.