What Box?^®

Never before in the history of man have there been so many opportunities and challenges to adapt to. Change is happening faster and faster and the world is growing smaller and smaller as telecommunication technology and the global economy start to integrate. It appears that no corner of the world is being left untouched by our accelerating globalization.

What kind of future do you want to create?

Looking into the future can be like exploring the dense woods of Zena along the shores of Grand Lake at night. A combination of unforeseen threats and opportunities confront us as we take each tentative step into the great unknown. Without a map, compass, or guiding light the chances are that, before too long, even the most seasoned explorer can end up lost, stumbling blindly in the dark far from the intended path. Being able to identify your map and plan for the future takes effort and determination. Things that have been rewarded in the past may not be rewarded in the future. In an attempt to support you in adapting to our ever-changing world here are some critical tools that enable me to discover, imagine, and initiate the future I want to create. Simply put a method that allows people to be part of inventing the future.

Openness to Change – It has been said that nothing is sure but change and taxes. Our ability to embrace change can make a major difference in how we evolve our careers, families, personal lives and community. Change is also a sneak peak into the future and for those who can stay calm and centered during times of change, will see through the chaos and new opportunities will become visible.

Foresight into the Future – Today there are more tools and organizations sharing their knowledge on the future than ever before. With these tools you can learn what trends are altering society, economics, the environment, business, and the cultural landscape. The ability see ahead can make the difference between excelling in the future or being left behind.

Insight into New Opportunities – Many people refer to those with insight as lucky because they always seem to be in the right place at the right time. In all reality these people have an ability to see future needs and then meet those needs with new products and/or services.

Flexible Strategy & Execution – James Ogilvy refers to this as Goalessness. This is the ability to adapt to the changing world by embracing new opportunities that enhance your goals and objectives. Very rarely is there a straight path to any desired outcome. Take off the blinders and begin to take in the world with new eyes.

As global issues, world cultures, integrated economies, and technologies continue to change so does our need to think differently. What is holding you back from adapting to our changing world? With fundamental changes happening in every facet of our lives and extending out into the world in which we live, it is becoming more and more critical to alter the way we think about our world.

Looking forward to tomorrow and our next adventure I encourage you to take the time to think about the kind of future you want to create and then go for it. You can do anything you want with a little effort and persistence. Thinking globally and acting locally has become an imperative for the future.

Let me know what you think.

Dear Sean,
I read your article, “Get a Goal” and I am very interested in how to apply SMART to my goal of visiting Costa Rica. Please give me an example of how I might apply SMART goals to my goal.
Pursuing my Goal

Dear Pursuing my Goal,
We share a common goal. Here is what a SMART goal for visiting Costa Rica might look like: I want to visit Costa Rica for eleven days before the end of 2005. This is a specific goal, it is measurable, is it attainable? (this one is up to you), it relates to your vision and finally, it is time bound. I like to post these kinds of goals on my bathroom mirror or next to the places I spend a lot of time. Can’t wait to see the pictures.
Have a great trip,
Sean

Until next week remember the only boxes that exist are the ones you create for yourself.

How has your life been changed by technology from when you were growing up?

Think about this for a minute. The last 50 years have brought more technological changes to our planet than all the advancements of humans combined since the beginning of time.

Technology advancements are going to be coming into and affecting our lives at an even more accelerated pace. Today there is almost no part of our lives that is not touched and altered through the technological products and services available to us.

As of this writing, countries from all over the world are meeting in Japan and India to discuss investing large sums of money and resources into the development and deployment of an effective Tsunami early warning system. In California, as scientists and engineers continue to learn about the effects leading up to an earthquake, making it possible for them to develop effective earthquake early warning system. Right here in our home state, scientists and storm chasers are using cutting edge technology to better understand and predict when and where tornados will touch down.

How does technology affect your life?

In many cases, we don’t even know that technology is affecting our lives. As an example, many of the food products we pick up at our local store are from genetically engineered foods. It makes the tomato shelf life longer so that we can enjoy them year round. We really don’t fully understand the effects of eating large amounts of genetically engineered foods. The transformation of the bar-code into a computer chip embedded into products being purchased is sure to increase the effectiveness of companies to sell products, while reducing prices. How much consumerism is enough?

A few VIP night clubs in New York are offering, as a status symbol, the service of injecting a small chip into your arm so that you can breeze through security and leave the other schleps to wait in line and actually have to show their ID. Next they will be Low Jacking our kids.

With the speed of change only accelerating and the amount of our time only reducing, how are we going to be able to gain the tools needed to make quality decisions in the future?

I like how some Native American Tribes go through the decision making process. They take in as much information as they can generate on any given subject. They then reflect upon what they know and have learned. Next they take into account a long view by looking out 7 generations and envisioning the effects of their decisions.

In a growing number of cases, technological advancements are being created for the sole purpose and desire for short-term profits, with little or no regard for the negative long-term effects felt down the road. We all need to wake up to the fact that our world is changing very quickly and things that were rewarded before might not be what is rewarded going forward.

How can we think differently about how we live our lives?

It is easy to feel a little helpless when presented with technologies apparent unstoppable progress. This is why it is important to remember we can make a difference in the world by remaining open to change and looking for places where we can make a positive difference. Today, more than ever, we require people all across the world to reach deep down inside of themselves and pull out that which is their full potential. This is because as quickly as humankind is making advancements in technology that work to improve our quality of life, we are, at the same time, becoming the most destructive force on the planet, if only temporarily.

What is the life you want to create for yourself?

As we contemplate technological capabilities that will save millions of lives from the force of a Tsunami’s fearful capacity for destruction and our apparent helplessness, we should not forget the greater tragedy that is humankind’s potential for self-destruction. It was humanity, not nature, that killed tens of millions in the wars and genocides of the 20th Century. Even as we master techniques to protect us from the earth’s violence or feed the hungry, we perfect new and more effective technological means of delivering our own.

Let me know what you think?

Special Invitation – If you plan on being in the Tulsa area on January 27th you can catch me in action. I want to invite you to the January 27th SpiritBank Business Resource Center Think-A-Torium, titled, Inventing the Future being held at the SpirtBank Tower, 1800 S. Baltimore, downtown Tulsa, 4:30pm-7pm.

I will be presenting from one of my murals developed to communicate global future trends and then interactively graphically facilitate 50-75 small business participants through the process of understanding how Tulsa can leverage the trends of the future and identify tools to embrace the accelerating changes of our world.

The first 45 minutes are pure schmoozing with food provided by James McNellies, a fabulous restaurant in the Blue Dome District.

Seating is limited so make your reservation today with Christy Gehrki at 918.295.7236.

I look forward to your participation in this special event.

Until next week remember the only boxes that exist are the ones you create for yourself.

It was Benjamin Franklin who said, “A man without a goal is like shooting a gun without a target.”

Franklin is one of my great mentors. His wisdom continues to teach me because it is as true now as it was in his time. Whenever I am in need of a little inspiration, I visit a couple Franklin Websites that I have bookmarked or I will read pages from his autobiography. Franklin’s insights inspire me to think in new ways, which enable me to uncover hidden opportunities and directions.

When it comes to goal setting, I have always envied people who have been able to set their goals in life at an early age. Rachel Jones, an amazingly brilliant young woman from Zena, knew from early grade school she wanted to be a forensic scientist. Amazing! She focused her energy without ever taking her eyes off the ball, achieving the goal and then working to excel in her profession.

This has not been the way life worked for me at all.

How many of you out there are still not quite sure what you want to be when you grow up?

Growing up I wanted to be a paleontologist, or an advertising executive, maybe a formula racecar driver. No, I know, a great author. Or maybe an influencial artist. Could I be the President of the United States? I continue to aspire to very lofty visions. These visions allow me to set my goals and direction in life. Without a strong vision, goals are more like shooting at a target with a shotgun than a rifle.

I have been setting goals tied to my vision for over half my life now. Kristen, my wife, and I have continued our tradition of collaborating on each other’s goals for the New Year. We are now in the process of breaking down these goals into manageable chunks so we can achieve them. The funny thing is that when you review my goals over the years you will find that I have had way more goals not achieved than achieved, goals that when compared to my 2005 goals would not make my goal chart this year.

I have not been wasting my time on goals that would never be achieved or realized. Quite the opposite. By going after these goals, even if only for a short time, new experiences emerged which enabled me to learn. New doors to possibility have been opened resulting in goals being changed to align with my evolving life vision.

What is holding you back from living your vision and setting your life goals?

Here is a good starting point for you to set SMART goals.

Specific – stating precisely what is wanted

Measurable – achievement of the goal can be measured

Attainable – you can accomplish the goal; success is possible

Related to Vision – the goal is aligned with your life vision

TimeBound – the goal has a specific date by when it will be accomplished.

Setting SMART goals elevates and supports your vision for your life. Start kicking butt with your life.

Let me know what you think?

Dear Sean,
I have a friend who whenever we are together or talk on the phone continuously complains about the same things. She does not seem to be able to change her ways and quite frankly I am fed up with the whole situation. Any advice?
Fed Up.

Dear Fed Up,
This is not an easy situation, but something needs to change. One thing that I find helpful in these circumstances is to set boundaries. This can be easier said than done. Let your friend know that you care about her, but that you’re not interested in discussing X topic any longer. You can let her know that when she is ready to actually DO something about the situation that you’ll be there to support her. No one said relationships are easy.
Keep on keeping on,
Sean

Until next week remember the only boxes that exist are the ones you create for yourself.

It has been said that what the ocean gives the ocean takes away.

Nothing could be truer for the survivors of the Sumatran earthquake and Tsunami that followed last week. The survivors of this incomprehensible catastrophe and the entire world are now confronting a tragedy of unimaginable scale and proportions.

Like so many people around the world ringing in the New Year, I have been sobered and amazed by the awesome power of nature and its ability to alter the landscape of our planet and life, as we know it.

The full magnitude of this historic event is only now becoming clear to us. As of my writing 150,000 people are confirmed dead and by some accounts, the number is expected to surpass 400,000. It is impossible comprehend this kind of devastation. Entire generations of humanity have been lost. 1 million people are homeless in Indonesia alone and here at home we are trying to fully understand the loss of over 5,000 Americans that are dead or missing.

As I take in the heartbreaking tale of damage beyond the scope of comprehension, it becomes more and more clear to me that each and every moment we have on this planet is a great gift. The reality is we just never know what is going to happen to us from moment to moment no matter how hard we try to meticulously plan our daily lives.

Think about how much energy you spend worrying about your future, whether it’s the next two hours, next week, or the next 10 years. We take for granted that tomorrow will come, and then when it does, we use our energy worrying about what tomorrow will bring once again.

Hey, if you think I am not one of these future planners you are mistaken. I spend most of my time working on projects that are all in the future. I get paid darn good money to think, plan and act on projects for the future. Yet, we can never really know what is going to happen in the future.

I am not saying that all life is a waste or why go on living at all. I am saying that it is important to live each moment to its fullest, and understand that life is precious and can be taken away just as quickly as it was given. I believe to truly live life we must reach for our full potential by being the best we can be at any moment in time. Live today as if it were the rest of your life. Keep a positive attitude through thick and thin. And never ever give up.

How would you live today if you knew it were the last day of your life?

To give support to the survivors of the Sumatran Tsunami visit www.redcross.org

Let me know what you think?

Until next week remember the only boxes that exist are the ones you create for yourself.