What Do You Most Want: Designing Your Preferred Future as a Bold One

Aug 31, 2023

by Sarah McVanel, Chief Recognition Officer, Greatness Magnified

“Where is the world going?”

We continually ask ourselves – maybe even our team – variations of this question.

• How is our industry changing?
• What do we need to do to retain employees?
• What designation will help me move up?
• What are we hearing from customers about our products and services?

Even on a personal level, we ask we reflect and explore with others too.

• What will my parenting look like in the next phase?
• How can I keep my marriage strong?
• What can I do to keep myself healthy?
• What matters to me?

Pretty healthy, right? Imagine if we continued to look forward and into our “preferred future” (as we solution-focused practitioners have coined it.)

Do you know what I’ve noticed? Often, these reflections are encumbered with an undercurrent of fear. Fear is not where boldness hangs out. (Let me tell you where you can learn more about this in a minute.)

Fear might look like these questions or ruminations:

• What if our biz/industry cannot compete? What if we cannot survive?
• What if our team/project is ditched as the “flavour of the month”? What if we lose support?
• What if our funding gets cut?
• What if my services/products become irrelevant?
• What if the next recession kills everything we worked so hard to build?
• What if my boss fires me? My clients go elsewhere?
• What if my kids/friends/partner rejects me?
• What if I can’t afford my house/lifestyle?
• What if I never become thin/respected/interesting/successful….

Heavy stuff, right?

What if, instead, we ask, “Where is the world going?” or “Where is my world going?” Imagine asking that question fully believing that we can influence our preferred future.

In other words, what if not knowing is the enabler versus the liability?

What if not holding on so tight can activate the insight? What if we create our preferred future through curiosity, in essence:
—> By design versus default
—> By experimentation versus expectation
—> By appreciation versus self-deprecation

We have all had the rug pulled out from us before, giving us the chops to ride whatever the future brings. Do we see that past failure as the sherpa versus the bogeyman? Rather than hold our breath, let us collectivity settle into a place of curiosity about how you WILL be able to shape that future.

Here is the place where The Bold Ones play.

Whether you are staring down the rest of 2023 with wonder, worry or wishes, do yourself a favour and grab Shawn Kanungo’s book “The Bold Ones.” His roadmap will unlock our preferred future – from industry to company to team to family to the space between our ears – is the formula for abundance in disruption.

See you in that preferred future, my friends.

Here are more ideas for planning your best and boldest future:

• What Does It Take To Embrace Possibilities and Give Yourself Recognition?

• Self Love: How to Stop Being so Hard on Yourself & Leverage Unconditional Recognition

• Self-Care: Challenging the Self(ishness) of Putting Yourself at the TOP of The List