Mate. We need to talk about the future.
At least, we need to talk about what you believe the future holds. Why?
The actions of the past shape the present
We can all agree that what’s happened in the past constrains and creates what’s possible today.
Similarly, you probably agree that:
Our actions in the present shape the future
Much like those that came before us, what we do today shapes what is possible tomorrow, and what is possible for the generations yet to come.
What you might not have noticed is that:
Our images of the future shape our actions in the present
Wait, what? Stick with me.
Every time you need to make a decision, big or small, to some degree you are weighing your options up against your ideas about what the future will be.
Now, this happens to varying degrees based on a few different factors:
-
the size of the decision
-
the significance of the decision
-
the degree of risk and uncertainty
-
how aware you are of your beliefs and assumptions that are baked into your images of the future.
When we clearly see the images of the future we carry with us, we can ask and answer better questions about the options available to us:
-
what makes this a good choice?
-
what will this option help me to do that I can’t do right now?
-
what unintended consequences could this have?
-
is there a better alternative that we haven’t yet explored?