Written by Mona Hassan, Partner at Supertrends Institute
What is your relationship with the word ‘futurist’? For many it may represent a profession that requires study of complex tools, methodologies, and theories in order to make valid suggestions about our future. While this one way to relate to futurism and the background of a futurist, in this blog post I would like to invite you to see the term ‘futurist’ from a different, more personal perspective. A perspective that assumes we ALL have the abilities to think and envision the future. We all have an inner futurist within us. Let’s see how we can unlock him or her.
Connect with your inner futurist
First and foremost, you need to become aware of your current state of mind. What I mean by that is: in our modern society we grow up learning what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. We tend to have a ‘what’s wrong’ attention, often being on alert for any danger or problem that might arise or need to be resolved. While this is innate to us humans (we need it for survival), it is not so helpful when we want to acquire a mindset that helps us think outside the box to activate our inner futurist.
Therefore, I invite you to apply some Body & Mind Magic, using your body to shift your state of mind. My guess is you are reading this while being seated, maybe hunching over your laptop or your mobile device. Let’s get you into futurist mood:
- Stand up, if possible
- Take a deep breath in & out to ground yourself – deep and slow – feeling your feet on the floor, signaling to your system that you are safe
- Spread your arms as wide as you can. Really expand your body. Stay in this position for a minute or so.
- Observe how your energy shifts and embrace the feeling of: aaaaah, so much more is possible from here!
Awaken your inner futurist with questions
This simple embodiment pose alone might already sparkle a connection to some new insights and future possibilities. Here are some questions you might want to consider, while you are connected:
- Think back of a time where you had to make a decision that took into consideration how the future might look like. E.g. when you chose what major to go for during your education or where to live the next phase of your life. What was your thinking process? What emotions did you feel? What trends did you consider and how did you observe these trends? How did you connect the dots?
- Where are you now in your life? What opportunities and problems do you see on a macro and micro level? What change do you truly want to see in your life?
- If ANYTHING was possible, what would you create?
- What WILL you create?