Future-thinking 2

To continue along the lines of the previous post, Marshall Goldsmith blogged about some elements of future-thinking and what he called "forecasting" the environment that we live in, grew up in, and are surrounded by, that influence what we can and cannot change.

This is directly related to future-thinking. You will see the elements line up pretty well. His first encouragement is to . . . 

Anticipate, which is basically my entire last post about this subject. He argues that good leaders and good business folks are all about Anticipating, future-thinking, seeing around the corners before they get here, you follow the drift, in order to . . . 

Avoid. He quotes Drucker, and I am going to quote him quoting Drucker, "Half the leaders I have met don't need to learn what to do.  They need to learn what to stop." Honestly I spend 65% of my time working with clients on this point alone. It seems that far too many of us have drank the kool-aid and believe that we must say yes to every challenge and problem that comes along in order to prove how valuable and irreplaceable we are to the world (and perhaps to ourselves?). This results in the majority of us being bogged down in very good things, while never having the discernment nor margin to do the great things, and accomplish the powerfully significant for the world, for humanity, for God. Stop your delusional belief that you can do it all. No one can. No one ever has. No one ever will. Let this empower you to . . . 

Adjust. Adjust your expectations. Adjust your assessment of your capacity. Adjust your will and talent and skills to the very essential stuff. You get the idea. Adjustments happens most timely and easily when we are focused and forecasting our situation and environment. The entire point of future-thinking in my opinion to to be ready, able and willing to make the adjustments that invariably come along, and will derail us if we aren't prepared.

Future thinking

Yes I had to change locations in order to be inspired enough and to have some mental space in my brain to write this blog. I have strongly advocated such changes in environment to get your creative juices flowing on this blog many times in the past. Today I had to take my own advice.

Because I am visiting the parentals, and one of them is a different person each time they wake up from a nap, and they take several dozens of naps throughout the day! The happy contented person who fell sleep 20 minutes ago, wakes up a sullen unhappy person . . . who falls asleep and then wakes up a completely incapable person who struggles to find the bathroom in the very small house they have lived in for the last 52 years. And no, we did not change the location of the bathroom. This is life with a parent struggling with Alzheimer's and dementia. At least this is how it expresses itself most days. There is no possible way to predict what the next nap will hold for all of us - those of us caring for the comfort and well-being of the said person.

It strikes me that this is also a challenge with future-certainty in any subject. The one topic most people seek my advice on is "what will the future be like, if I make this change or that change in my work or parent group?" I, of course, can give a general trends kind of answer to such a question, but there are no guarantees at all, because of the multiplicity of factors that will effect that precise outcome in the future. And trust me, the factors are far more dependable and predictable in vocational fields than they are in Alzheimers patient's naps results! Yet precise and bankable predictions about where you will end up from the decision you are making today, five years down the road, are frankly impossible.

Future-envisioning is still an important practice though, because if you don't do it with some diligence, you likely will not recognize the factors that ARE within your power to choose, when they come along. As the parentals grow older, more challenged, more in need of my regular appearance and assistance, the more I need to future-envision how I can work and live effectively, while providing the ever-increasing more that they need from me. If you are trying to answer a similarly quandary, the answers you come up will vary from mine, because of the health issues your love ones face, the flexibility of your job/vocation, the resources available, and your location in the world relative to them . . . and at least a dozen other factors that I haven't even future-envisioned yet . . . probably.

But to construct a life-work balance that meets your needs today and tomorrow requires some diligent thinking and inspiration in order to mitigate the risks and maximize the rewards for all stakeholders. 

Advice? Take a long walk, or ride your motorcycle down to the coffee shop, or some other change in environment in the regular course of the day, and think think think, and then think some more. I am confident you will be pleased with the progress you make. 

I gotta finish my coffee now, and do some more thinking . . ..

10 things I learned on this trip

It has been a very concentrated time of travel and learning and people intense weeks as I have been reconnecting with some partners across the USA. Always being "on" is very very draining, yet I feel more energized and energetic than I have in decades! Yes that is a paradox.

A number of these connections and relationships are great for my soul and encourage me very much. A few of them are very draining and exhausting, yet I am learning new ways to mitigate and negate their effects on me. Every time I make a trip, I feel like I learn more and more. This one was no different on that front.

What I learned this time in the States:

1. There is always someone nearby who is smarter than I am and that I can learn from!

2. There is a hunger in most folks to move forward with their lives and to make progress, and they are highly attracted to people who can help them do that.

3. The more you can uncomplicate the complicated for them, the more they are going to pay attention to what you have to say.

4. You better have something of substance to say!

5. Cherish the moments when you can sit on the patio (and not freeze!) and have a cigar!

6. It is never too late in life to make a new friend.

7. People learn faster when they are laughing.

8. Most people want you to make all the application for them and draw all the lines that connect all the dots. Don't.

9. Don't because it robs them of understanding themselves, and diminishes their personal commitment and follow-through to their own success.

10. Stop (or at least slow down enough) to enjoy the beauty along the journey, both the relational ones and the natural ones. Snow in Vermont, warm and wet in Florida, warm and dry and early Spring in California! Priceless!