Methods for learning about the future have been available
and in use by businesses for decades, but the process has simply been too complex for most individuals. The Personal Futures
Network introduces some new, easily understood approaches that will help you to think like a futurist and learn about
your personal futures.
Think like a futurist? What does that really mean,
think like a futurist? Well, each futurist may have some different thoughts, but generally futurists think about longer term
futures, usually 10 or more years ahead. Futurists believe that the future is not predetermined, but that several futures
are possible. If several futures are possible, then one of those futures may be better than the others, or a "preferred"
future. Very important; futurists believe that individuals or groups can take actions in the present that will help determine
the future.
That brief paragraph helps explain why most futurists don't make predictions
about the future, but rather suggest multiple possible futures, often in the form of "scenarios" or stories about
the future.
The next page, Personal Futures offers a brief outline showing
how to use futures methods to explore and prepare for YOUR future in three steps:
Understand your life
Explore
plausible futures (personal scenarios)
Plan to
achieve the future you want (personal strategic planning)
Speaking
Over
the past two years, groups have contacted me and invited me to speak to them about Personal Futures, and I have enjoyed each
of those opportunities. As a result of those workshops and presentations, I've developed images and materials to offer
a professional presentation. Now I've been invited to join with other futurists on Shaping Tomorrow to form Future Voices, a professional speakers' organization for futurists. With that, I am now offering my
services as a professional speaker. I'll be adding a link to Future Voices and a page to this web site that will include more details.
If you are interested in a speaker to talk about personal futures or how the future will impact individuals, contact me at
verne@personalfutures.net.
Blog Page
A new page has been added, made up of my blogs over the last two years. I hope you'll find them interesting.
A few are dated, but most of these blogs are very current. Several of these blogs are the foundation for chapters in my new
book, It's YOUR Future...Make it a good one!.
.
The Personal Futures Workbook is available as a FREE download on the "Downloads"
page.
Istanbul Futurist Summit
Personal Futures presentation at the Istanbul 2008 Futurist Summit November 21.
This site is about planning for your future.
You will find a system that uses the same methods that futurists have
used for decades in business and government. This is not advice about how to run your life, but offers methods and tools
that will let you anticipate and plan for your future.
The Personal Futures Workbook
is now available as a free download.
The workbook will lead you step-by-step through
the personal futuring process. Visit the "Downloads" page. The free download makes the Personal Futures
Workbook available to everyone everywhere at the same price, free. This version is in PDF, so you can fill in and
save the workbook and your information on your computer.
2010 Edition- Updating the Workbook
I'm
updating the workbook. If you have suggestions or comments, they would be appreciated. Email verne@personalfutures.net.
My new book:
The title will
be It’s YOUR Future... Make It A Good One!
This book is the How and Why of Personal Futures. Each chapter explores concepts and
methods for exploring the future, then shows how to apply those methods in your own life. Examples are provided, showing
how to fill in worksheets in the workbook. At the end, you should have a good understanding of futures concepts and methods;
tools that you can use for the rest of your life. I'm still doing some rewriting, but expect the book to be published this
year.
Pages on this web site
The PERSONAL FUTURES page describes the overall
process of exploring your own future, including the three key steps: Personal Research, Creating Personal Scenarios and Developing
a Strategic Plan that will lead you to the future you have chosen.
The LIFE STAGES page is the first step
in understanding the rest of your life and the lives of your family members. Here you will develop images of your future.
The PERSONAL DOMAINS page describes and explains the six primary driving forces in your life. Here you will
learn how each of these forces will affect your future.
The LIFE EVENTS page discusses events
that will probably occur in your life that can, in many cases be anticipated. This section helps you to understand the different
kinds of life events and which events you should prepare for.
The FOUR SCENARIOS page will show you
how to create scenarios and stories about your futures. With the information from your personal framework you will construct
four scenarios that describe your plausible (including one about wild cards) futures.
The STRATEGIC
PLAN page is where you will create a vision of your future, then develop plans and strategies to achieve that future. Then
you will create contingency plans, just in case a wild card pops up
The AUTHOR page explains the who, how
and why relating to the creation and future of this site
The DOWNLOADS page offers the
most recent version of the Personal Futures workbook as well as an Excel spreadsheet that can be downloaded to your
computer. These downloads are free.
The BOOKS
AND ARTICLES page lists some books and articles theat you may find interesting and helpful as you explore the future. Links
to web sites that relate to Personal Futures will also be on this page.
Personal Learning
Personal Futures offers three types of learning:
Learn about your own future
Learn to think long term
Learn to use futures methods
These three types of
learning are important not only in your personal life, but also in your career. Explore this site, and see what you
think.
