How to Master the Future:
You know what happens when you decide to sleep late. You will rush when you get up. You will splash water on your face. Do something with your hair. Throw on a shirt. And show up stinky for your first video meeting, pretending you smell fresh.
You master the future with decisions you make now.
A crystal ball into the future:
Benjamin Franklin was wrong when he said, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” I’m certain your next decision will impact your future.
The future is predictable. Here’s an example. My feet rest under my desk. It’s 5:00 a.m. My hand holds a fountain pen to paper in my journal. I predict words will appear soon. They might be stupid. I might think they’re brilliant (That’s usually dangerous). But they will show up.
Attitude and action both impact life. Decisions about actions are trumped by how you choose to show up. Attitude impacts quality of life more than action, but both are essential. Action changes things. Attitude changes you. Gratitude, for example, makes a difficult life feel better and provides energy to see and act.
Decisions are impotent and fruitless until you act.
The power of a decision is action.
Progress into the future:
Fog always lays thick in the distant valley. Near-term life is clearer than distant.
You get crazy when you wander in a fog-clouded future too long.
Progress is simple when you live in fog. Turn on your fog lamps and drive on. The next 50 feet appear while you drive.
Go as far as the fog lamps see.
“Remember then: there is only one time that is important—now! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power.” Leo Tolstoy
What will you create now?
Still curious:
6 Ways to Honor Your Future Now
Future-Back: How Leaders Create the Future Today
10 Ways to Change the Future Today
Death, taxes, and change, everything changes!
Unless it’s dead. And even then, decay is change.
Dan, I think you meant Franklin. Ben Franklin. And your post reminds me of my dad’s observation: you can’t steer a parked car. In other words, getting moving!
I think I did. I fixed it. Thanks.
I like the parked car idea. It adds to the fog lamp metaphor.
“The plan is nothing. Planning is everything.”
In other words, you may not know all the details about what’s going to happen. But you can still prepare for the most likely scenarios.
Love it. Thanks Jennifer.
Dan a recent thought I had was that even your enemies change over time. Your business nemesis early in life becomes aging with issues later in life!
Brad
Seems the idea that the past predicts the future is only partially true. The past doesn’t predict the future in a volatile world.
“Go as far as the fog lamps see”
This is great advice, but remember the fog lamps don’t tell you you’re on the wrong road and going in the wrong direction.
So, get on the right road. Head in the right direction. And go as far as the fog lamps see. How’s that?
That works!