Some practical hints on what is sometimes referred to as future-proofing ie adopting a proactive approach to planning your preferred future, and then developing strategies that will allow you to create that future.

1. Powerful
Futures
How to future-proof
yourself in a dramatically
changing world
Tony Ryan
tony@tonyryan.com.au
powerfulfutures.com

2. Want to plan your
own Powerful
Future? There are at
least three
perspectives.
Possible Futures
Probable Futures
Preferable Futures

3. Possible Futures. Dream /
visualise / imagine. What are the
astonishing possibilities in your life?
Probable Futures. Get analytical. Determine
the trends and facts. What are the most likely
scenarios in your life?
Preferable Futures. What do you most
want to have occur in your future? If you could
choose your future, what would it be?

4. Four Upfront Hints
On Future-Proofing
Yourself
1. Watch the FEAR factor
2. Look for the trends
3. Let go on certainty
4. Be innovative

5. 1. Watch
the FEAR
factor

6. How does this type of article make you feel??

7. Now, how does
this type of article
make you feel???

8. Some people will believe
anything. Don’t be one of them!

9. Being scared of the future will
paralyse you.
It becomes a self-fulfilling
prophecy anyway.
Ask yourself this: What’s your 1 to 10
rating on your personal future (1 is
horrendous, 10 is sensational)?
It’s likely to end up being
what you choose!

10. Use the FEAR Plan when
you have to do something
that is challenging for you
• Feel good and relax (just breathe deeply for a
few secs)
• Expect good things (visualise the pending
action in a positive light)
• Action Plan (remind yourself of the 1st 2
steps you will take, just before you start)
• Reward yourself (after you finish, reward
yourself for using the FEAR plan)

11. 2. Look for
the trends

12. Have a look at some
of the trends from
Faith Popcorn eg
SheChange; Icon
Toppling

13. Ken Dychtwald’s ‘Age Wave’ is
one of the most critical trends
in human history
Two-thirds of all people
in history who lived past
65 are alive today
1000 AD. Life expectancy 25.
1900 AD. 47.
2000 AD. 78.
Up to now, we have
had a linear life plan.
We learn, we earn, we
He challenges us to
retire, we die.
have a circular life
plan eg every 7 yrs,
to learn, earn, and
then ‘retire’ for 6
mths

14. Retirement from life is not an option

15. • 10 critical skills for the
future:
• Communication management
• Reputation management
• Privacy management
• Information management
• Opportunity management
• Technology management
• Relationship management
Some likely skills you’ll need • Legacy management
in the future?? • Time management
• Money management
Thomas Frey
futuristspeaker.com

16. 3. Let go on
certainty

17. Some things in life are (relatively)
certain eg the sun will come up
tomorrow
Many events in your life are not
certain eg possible accidents
Accept what you CAN change (eg your
attitude to any event); and accept
what you CAN’T change (eg the
choices made by political leaders)

18. Just keep learning. It encourages you
to let go on certainty.
• What do you consistently do to advance your
knowledge?
• What is new in your thinking so far this year?
• What new skill do you intend to learn in the
rest of this year?
• At the Personal level
• At the Professional level

19. 4. Be
innovative

20. Thinking outside the Square is very 20th Century.
Instead, think outside the dodecahedron *.
Thinking??!
* It’s a 12-sided polygon!

21. Look for examples of
innovation in
everyday life.

22. Generate at least
one set of
innovative ideas
every day!

23. Tony Ryan’s
FutureCards
Mapping out your
thinking and planning
for the future
Free copies and details
available at
powerful futures.com

24. What could you do with
this info?
What will you do?
How and when will you
do it?

25. Imagine the possibilities if you designed your own future
Strawberry Fields, Central Park,
New York