Manage your Future!

February 10, 2009 by Milton Kamwendo
Filed under: Unleashing Greatness 

 

The future will always come whether we are prepared for it or not. Whether we want it or wish it away. Some people are so concerned about today that they forget that there is a whole life to be lived. An important key to your greatness is to deliberately manage and create your future. What are the keys to managing the future? How can one guarantee the future? How can one increase their probability of success and progress towards greatness?

1. Think about the Future
What you are today is not what you will always be! It is important to know that today is always the beginning of your future. It is therefore never too late to make a new start. The decisions you are taking today affect what you will become in the future. 

The Bible has a popular story of two men, Esau and Jacob. One day Esau came from work very tired and hungry. He could do almost anything to get a meal. To satisfy his present hunger he sold his birth-right and all its privileges in exchange for little. Jacob saw an opportunity to invest in the future by exchanging a cheap meal for a birth right. He bought a destiny to greatness, while Esau got the satisfaction of a few hours. 

 

The moral of this story is that one must never sacrifice the future for a momentary satisfaction in the present. When you make your decisions think about the future! The future must never be at the mercy of an emotional experience of a few hours or minutes. 

 

2. A Clear Vision and Mission
So long as you do not know where you are going, any road will take you there. A vision is a picture of the future that you are moving towards. Only fools arrive at their future by accident. The greatness that you desire must become a magnificent obsession – you must see it clearly in your mind, dream it, think it, pray it and visualise it!

Your present reality may not look very glorious, but none of us is so poor that they are not capable of dreaming and visualizing a better future. Your vision will fuel your motivation, desires and prayers. 

 

3. Leverage the Power of Goals
Your goals are the future in waiting. Goals drive you forward and propel you to take action. Set SMART goals. They must be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound. Unless your goals are crystal clear, they will not rouse any action. 

Your goals must be clearly written down committed to memory and aggressively pursued. Remember your goals are your future. You are not practicing to live – this is reality! Your goals represent the future that you are creating. Do not let any complacency, procrastination or silly friendships tamper with your goals. Guard your future by pursuing your goals with an unyielding determination and passion!

 

4. Get Mentored!  
If you want to catch flu, hand around somebody with flu. If you want wisdom, hang around wise mentors. Be so passionate about creating a better future that you are willing to pursue your mentors. Mentoring is a time intensive process that requires your time, patience and humility. Time spent with a mentor is always an investment! 

If you want to see the future that you are creating, just look at the people that are speaking into your life. Who is mentoring you? Who is programming your mind for the future? Somebody once said, if you want to get big fleas hang around big dogs!

 

5. Learn to Network
You will never succeed as a lone ranger. You need other people. Knowledgeable people know facts and are so full of knowledge. On the other hand, successful and great people know and value people.  

You will also benefit significantly by joining a networking organisation. Organisations like ZNCC, CZI, Rotary, Junior Chamber and others offer networking opportunities. Business Network International (BNI) is an organisation that has made history in the world in facilitating and developing networking relationships among businesses. I have personally benefited from this organisation. Their networking approach is organised and systematic. It allows you to meet with other business people every week to network in an organised way. I would recommend this organisation for anyone wishing to take some steps to develop networking skills.            

 

6. Take Massive Action
We can all dream, fantasize and debate about the future and how we can shape it. The most important key to shaping the future is taking massive action today to make your life happen. You can never build a reputation or the future on the basis of your intentions. Your intentions do not amount to anything unless you are willing to take action. 

Take massive action to create a new future. What you are today is a result of the actions that you took in the past. What you will be in the future is a result of the actions you are taking today. 

 

To your greatness,

 

Milton Kamwendo

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