Strategic Coach Resources

A new, better, different future.

The future is your property. It belongs to you. You’re unusual because as an entrepreneur, you’re far more likely to recognize this, make plans for, and take steps toward the future you want to have. The majority of people are more inclined to leave those decisions up to others and take what they get. The choice is yours — so why not choose to have a future that’s new, better, and different? As an entrepreneur, you have the Freedom of Future, which is the freedom to imagine, commit to, act on, and actualize a continually bigger personal future.

Creative responses.

Many like to complain about the situations they find themselves in. But entrepreneurs — accustomed to taking full responsibility for what happens to them — know that complaining might feel good, but it doesn’t pay the bills. Because of this, they’re more likely to act creatively and transform their circumstances. Fortunately, entrepreneurs are also freer to do this, unhindered by structures that might limit their imaginations or actions. This is more important than many realize, because your approach to life determines not only how much you enjoy it, but how long it lasts.

Built to last.

Lots of people stop living not because of medical reasons, but because they run out of money, friends, or a sense of purpose. Without these things, they feel their life has no meaning. Other people, though, enjoy vibrant, compelling days for their whole life. What kind of activities, relationships, and circumstances would keep you engaged enough to feel truly alive for your whole life? This is not a trivial question because your answer has an immediate impact on how long you want to live. This long-term focus shapes your present attitude to your physical health, your career, and your relationships. You can find clarity in your decisions by deciding how long you’re going to live and then planning backwards.

The art of life.

When you approach life this way, it takes on a different quality. Your lifetime becomes an expression, a work of art. What unique work of thought and action are you going to create over these years? When you take on big projects that truly matter to you, your future is always bigger than your past, no matter how old you are. Have you ever noticed that when you speak to people who insist on continually talking about their past, you tend to disengage after awhile, bored with hearing about their glory days? But when someone talks excitedly about their future plans, they give off an energy that’s enjoyable to be around (and makes you think about your own plans). People whose energy is all in the past tend to atrophy, to shrink, not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally, too. Some people’s greatest achievements were back in high school, where others’ are so big that they live on past the span of their individual life.

Start living the future now.

Your vision for the future can give you a great deal of clarity and confidence about the decisions and actions you make today. It helps you clear away the clutter and play the game you were born to play — and play it for an entire lifetime. Confident entrepreneurs naturally visualize the future, then build the structure to support that vision, and take the necessary steps to make it real. Looking at your whole lifespan gives you one kind of vision, but it’s important to focus a little closer to home to find out what to do next. Three years is a good timespan to use: It’s far enough away to imagine things changing, but close enough that you can see the steps you need to take to get there. What are the most exciting three-year leaps you could make toward your work-of-art lifetime? Once you’ve articulated them, focus even closer, and write down goals and deadlines for the actions in the next 90 days that will take you to your three-year leaps. With this coherent sense of the future, you’ll find yourself making decisions and taking actions with ease: Potential commitments and activities clearly fit the plan or they don’t.

The future: the ultimate freedom.

The life you’ve planned, consciously or not, is designed to get you to a certain age through the health habits, financial plans, and sense of purpose that go with it. So get active about the design of your life. Become a life-stylist! Using your Freedom of Future means you’ll live longer and those years will be full of meaning, rewards, and fun.