{"id":163,"date":"2014-06-03T07:20:45","date_gmt":"2014-06-03T07:20:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/whatsyourpoint.mobi\/?p=163"},"modified":"2019-04-05T21:26:17","modified_gmt":"2019-04-06T01:26:17","slug":"determined-futurist-or-wish-distracted-fatalist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/determined-futurist-or-wish-distracted-fatalist\/","title":{"rendered":"Determined Futurist or Wish-Distracted Fatalist?"},"content":{"rendered":"

We are often more aware we have a future when a new year begins or we make a fresh start, like going back to school or launching a new venture. The rest of the time, the future is all but ignored.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Even when we think about the future, \u201cwait and see\u201d is a common response to \u201cHow’s this all going to turn out?\u201d However, you aren\u2019t a leaf passively blowing in the wind of change, but a proactive agent for your own future\u2014when you chose to be! \u201cWait and see\u201d is the passive approach few can afford. It\u2019s already cost too many<\/em> too much.<\/em>
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Are you a determined futurist<\/strong> (\u201cIf it is to be, it\u2019s up to me\u201d), or a wish-distracted fatalist<\/strong> (\u201cI guess it wasn\u2019t meant to be\u201d). I can\u2019t help you achieve the latter, but the shift to determined futurist is right up my alley and a key\u00a0“What’s Your Point?” theme<\/strong>\u2026<\/p>\n

One of my most effective proactive mantras is \u201cIf it is to be, it\u2019s up to me<\/strong>.\u201d Recite this to yourself when problems or opportunities arise, and you\u2019ll stop making excuses and dig in. This proactive strategy and others like it help you deal with unpleasant surprises like unexpected problems which should have been expected, and unexpected opportunities which should have been obvious to you\u2014they were to others. This mantra can also get you through a start-up or into pro-active succession mode.<\/p>\n

Applying a “wait and see” attitude to the three business essentials<\/strong> below can be expensive in many ways. However, a shift in attitude may be all it takes to shift three significant liabilities into constructive action: expectations, your weak spot, and excuses.<\/p>\n

With so many things political, financial, social, and environmental in flux, \u201cwait and see\u201d thinking guarantees a bumpy road ahead. Avoid unpleasant surprises by using these 3 strategies before<\/em> time and everything else slips away from you.<\/p>\n

1. Establish POWERFUL EXPECTATIONS<\/strong>
\nThis is akin to setting goals, but less intimidating since it\u2019s easy to do with an attitude shift. You always have expectations, good and bad, about everything. Problems arise when these expectations are consistently negative or unconsciously set too low.<\/p>\n