Future-mindedness is a mindset that balances optimistic action with thoughtful pragmatism to envision possible futures. It prepares us for what comes next. Optimism drives action by deliberately seeking out upside, possibilities, and opportunity. It requires confidence in our ability to shape outcomes. However, we must also be pragmatic, acknowledging that unknown events beyond our control will likely change the situation, and thinking through what that might look like.
Practice future-minded thinking.
Create space to reflect and question what could change to upend a plan or invalidate the current goal.
Consider how you might respond and what happens next.
The future-minded are flexible to change, skilled at planning, imagining outcomes, setting goals, and executing flexibly.
People high in future-mindedness also tend to be high in resilience, self-efficacy, cognitive agility, and optimism.