How Would You Like to See the Future?

What is the secret of predicting the future and knowing how your life will be?
We all make resolutions some of which we keep, while others we struggle to achieve. Firstly, I want you to promise yourself that your life is just too valuable to allow it to pass away without having put some time aside and coming up with a plan of where you want to be in 5, 10, or 15 years from now. If you don’t make plans then there is a real chance you will just wander through life and you could end up in a whole range of situations, none of which you are too happy about. Plans are like a compass; they allow you to align yourself and get back on track when you start to wander on another path.

Most people find resolutions just too hard to keep and they either don’t have any or if they do struggle to achieve them. Why do they fail? – the biggest reason is that most people take a short-term view of life. All your resolutions should be focused on the end-game result you want to achieve. It is only then that those resolutions will have the power to drive you to achieve them. It is only by foregoing an easy life now, and working hard on ourselves, our education, or that goal, that we will be able to achieve an easy life in the future. However, if we want to take it easy now, then life in the future will be more of a struggle.

The first step is to start thinking and planning about what you want out of your life. It is worth the time to sit down and map out what you want, as it will be an important task that could change your life. This step is worthy of some close attention, so I would suggest you dedicate some time to carefully think about how you want your life to be, and whether you will get there by following the path you are currently on.

We will cover some ways you can set your own goals to allow you to get what you want. Writing your thoughts down can make it a lot easier for you to see what you want to achieve. The simple act of writing may also generate more ideas which you haven’t previously thought of.
To be able to see the future with any degree of certainty we need to create a long-term plan for ourselves. Some questions we need to consider are:

• Where am I now?
• Where do I want to go?
• Create a plan (step by step) of how you will get to your destination (without a plan they will be difficult to track)
• Write down some milestones that will help keep you on track

Let’s look at each of these questions in turn and see what we need to do.

Where am I now?

The best way to answer this one is to go somewhere quiet and relaxing, a place in which you are alone, and will not be disturbed. Maybe just before heading off to bed. Ask yourself what do you see as the purpose of your life, if there is one thing you want to achieve, and achieve well what would that thing be? Now think about where you are now.
Write down what you see as your purpose in life to be, this statement will allow you to get back on track when you find yourself wandering off. When you are working towards your purpose in life you will feel fulfilled. Not everything we do will go towards meeting our purpose, but in general, this will be the plan.
Some questions you can ask yourself to come up with a short statement of your purpose are:

• What am I you aiming for?
• What is my goal in life?
• What would I like to achieve?

Some ideas to get you started are:

• I want to work hard to get ahead in my career
• I want to become financially independent
• I want to raise a happy family
• I want to buy a house
• I want to move to another state/country etc.

You get what I mean, this is an important step, it involves being truthful to yourself. There may be reasons why you can’t tell the truth to other people. But you owe it to yourself, to be honest. Nobody needs to see your plans.
As you are working through this process you may experience a range of emotions, here are some tips to keep you focused.

Don’t judge or blame yourself

There is nothing wrong with reflecting on the past to not do the same mistakes again. But beating yourself is not constructive and has no benefit. Everyone has weaknesses and has made mistakes, just accept that what has happened is in the past, and you can now move forward. You are not a Robinson Crusoe

Learn from the past, but learn to let go

You can change the future through the decisions you make in the present. The past is the past, and what has happened is over. There is nothing you can do to change the past. In the same way that we need to let go of the past, we also need to let go of who we were and focus on who we want to be. Develop a conviction that you can change, and start behaving as that new you. Sure you will have some lapses, it is always difficult to change something that we have been used to for so long. But we must stay true to ourselves, and focus on changing the future.

Change your mindset

Here we need to harness all our energy and develop a deep conviction or belief that what we desire is 100% achievable. Your goal will need to challenge you, and also be something that you are very passionate about. This is very important, as it is your passion that will push you when things get difficult. The next step is to face what is holding you back. Many people fear the unknown, however, every change creates some level of anxiety. It is not that some people have no fear. Many people from all walks of life, from mountain climbing thrill-seekers to business people have been asked if there was any ‘secret’ to overcoming fear. Nearly all said that it was not about ‘overcoming’ fear, but conditioning yourself to become used to it. These people moved forward despite the fear. It is all about taking small baby steps, you slowly build yourself up, and you will be surprised at what you can accomplish. In a similar way that dominoes fall, your newfound confidence will create more positive energy and provide you with more courage to move forward. As the saying goes, the wolf always appears bigger than it is. Our mind is great when it comes to protecting us. Unfortunately, it sometimes goes into overdrive and creates bigger and bigger stories of what can go wrong to protect us. Your mindset is based on your core beliefs. If you believe you are not good enough to achieve something you will simply give up. Trust in yourself, and get some small wins under your belt, and before you know it you will be tackling even bigger challenges.

Consider your strengths and weaknesses

The other side to focusing on your weaknesses is ignoring your strengths. When you ignore your strengths, you are essentially robbing yourself of the opportunity to use your ability to move ahead. As you can see, it is important to consider your strengths as these will guide you into areas that you are most suited for you.

Time for some housekeeping

At this point, we need to carefully think about how ready we are to change. We may also need to take steps to pave the way for our success. If you are not ready for change, it is better to wait for another time. Agreeing with yourself that you will see this task through is one way we can use it to motivate ourselves. You will need to defend your decisions over the long term, so you need to be firmly committed.
Paving the way for success is about looking at your surroundings. Find people that think like you, motivated and positive people. Everyone is grumpy on occasions, however, if you find yourself amongst people that complain all the time, then that’s unhealthy. Some red flags are: you are always drained after talking to them, they constantly criticize your ideas. Sure, suggestions and feedback are good, but if it becomes a regular occurrence, that’s not healthy. Limiting your contact with energy drainers will make you a more happy and productive person in the long run.

What is my future?

Now we come to the point in which if you have thought about all the above steps you would have a clear idea of your goal. It could be:

• I want to be financially independent and have my own home 5 years
• I want to learn to become a writer, teacher, accountant, teacher, plumber, president, etc.
• I want to start my own business in consulting, bookkeeping interior design, etc.

Okay if you are starting to feel stuck, do some research and consider your options. Look at a variety of areas, also examine whether the areas you are looking into are expected to grow or shrink in the future.
In most cases, any worthwhile goals we seek may take several years to achieve. Don’t be put off by this because in 5 years you don’t want to be thinking ‘if only I did this or that when I first thought about it.
So at this point, consider what you want to do in the next few years and write it down.

Create a plan (step by step) of how you plan to achieve your goal
This step is vital to allow you to convert your goals to something concrete. Here, we need to work backward from where we want to go and work out step by step what needs to be done to get there. Again, you will need to look at your circumstances. For instance, if you are looking for a qualification, then consider what courses you need.

Many people like to think forward to where they want to go in say 4 years, however, this is not the best way. When planning strategically you will need to begin in the future and work your way back to the present.

First, start to set your 2 to 5-year goals, then your next step is to determine what the steps are in-between these years to achieve your ultimate goal.
Your main goal now must be broken down by year, and within each year you will need to split down the smaller tasks needed to get to where you want.
Below are some tips for each step to assist you to come up with your plan.
Stating your Goals
Write your goals in a positive rather than a negative way, it’s just how our brain works. For instance, instead of saying, I will stop smoking, say I will live a healthier life. Or if you are trying to get into shape, rather than say I don’t want to be overweight, focus instead by saying I want to live a healthy life.

Write down some milestones to keep you on track

A dream stays a dream until you make the effort to convert it into a goal and then take actionable steps to achieve it.
Recording your goals turns them into actionable plans. The simple recording of your ideas on paper is a concrete example of progress. The act of writing will trigger your brain to think of gaps and other options that can be added to help you achieve your goal.

Some people find mind maps useful. There are many good books and free resources on mind maps.

Final Thoughts

Mentally commit to the goal – your level of commitment will be the biggest factor that determines whether you achieve your goal.

Stay flexible – Follow the advice of flexible people, notably, Bruce Lee, once said “Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind”. Be prepared to change your plans to adjust for changes in your life.

Reward yourself – When you have achieved something and worked hard at it you should pat yourself on the back.
It could be a weekend away, something you always wanted to buy yourself.

Track your progress – Regularly check your progress and see if you are still on target. At least each month check how you are going.

Live a healthy life – Live a healthy life, eat well, and get enough sleep, with health you will need both mentally and physically healthy so you can enjoy your life and also work towards your long-term goal.