FUTURE GAZING AS FUTURE SHAPING

Nobody can predict the future. However, we all have the ability to mentally remove ourselves from the present in order to imagine events and states of the world that are yet to happen. This means that we all have at least some ability to predict a wide range of possible futures, some of which are likely to be more preferable to us than others. From this range of possible futures we may therefore pick the one we would most like to happen, and which in turn may enable us to best direct our energies towards making it a reality.

Choosing the Best Tomorrow

As the above indicates, future gazing as future shaping is all about taking actions today to select and work towards the possible future we most desire. In the same way that an architect may draw designs of many possible buildings for a particular location -- only one of which can be chosen to be built there -- so future gazing as future shaping is the process by which we can all try to imagine several possible futures before playing our role in influencing the actuality of tomorrow.

The key to successful future gazing as future shaping is obtaining the best information today that will enable us to predict the most likely range of possible futures. Indeed, in business often the greatest mistake is getting trapped in local, short-term thinking and hence not seeing the forest for the trees. This website is therefore a resource for both companies and individuals seeking to obtain a helicopter perspective on a broad range of developments and ideas that may help us to foresee and choose from a wide range of future scenarios. Or to put it another way, this website is intended to help people broaden their thinking about the many possible worlds of tomorrow, only some of which we would ever want to become a reality.

Challenges, Technologies, Trends and Mindsets

The content on this site is categorized into challenges, trends, technologies and mindsets. Future challenges are those major inevitabilities with which we will all have to contend sometime in the future, even if the easiest thing today is to ignore them. In contrast, Future trends are those emerging social, cultural and organizational phenomenon that may arise out of and/or drive future challenges and technologies, but over which humanity has a great deal of choice.

Future technologies are those innovations in the world's hardware, software and media that we may utilize both in overcoming known challenges, as well as in proactively creating and embracing new products, new markets, new communities, new human relationships, and new governance systems. Finally, future mindsets are a range of mental tools that we may employ to help us recognise and plan for radical change.

Also included on this site is my Future A-Z. This provides a very rapid introduction to the sheer breadth of future studies, as well as providing a possible brainstorming input for any future gazing as future shaping activity. And yes, there is an entry for every letter! You'll also find here some videos to assist in bringing to life key ideas and information. And if after all that you want assistance with using this kind of material in your business, then please get in touch.

With Best Wishes for your most preferable tomorrow,

Christopher Barnatt.