Time is a fickle thing. Sometimes it seems to fly, blurring past us faster than we can process. Other times it drags on, and on, and on... where each tick of a clock feels like an eternity. Whatever your experience of time may be, there is one thing we can all agree on: time is precious. With each passing moment, we each get a little older and hopefully a little wiser. The future is coming for each of us, ready or not.
What decisions are you making for yourself and others now to prepare for your future?
Have you ever heard of the Butterfly Effect? The theory is aptly named by a meteorologist who joked that if a butterfly flaps its wings in one place you might get rain or sunshine in another place. 1
The Butterfly Effect proposes that the slightest change to the past or present can have immeasurable repercussions on the future because we live in an unpredictable world.2 For example, even something as simple as squishing a butterfly by mistake when you were younger could have completely changed the trajectory of your life! Well, maybe not. Perhaps if you chose to take a different first job and had a different mentor you might not be at the organization you are at today.
At Spark!, we are moving forward. We appreciate that history has already been written and that the world is unpredictable. We can’t travel back in time, yet. (We may or may not be working on a time machine, no luck so far.) Everyday we work to live in the present, plan for, and build the future we want. We also recognize plans can and usually do change.
Just for a moment, think about the Butterfly Effect, but instead of the past affecting the present, reframe it. What actions can you take today that could have a massive impact on your future? What can you do today to create the future you want?
Start small. Take out that trash you’ve been ignoring, enroll in that class you’ve been putting off. Think about the relationships you would like to cultivate in your life. Identify someone you can potentially mentor. Everything you do today, and every decision you make for your organization can have a profound impact on what the future will look like.
Blink your eyes and before you know it 5, 10, 20 years have passed. Depending on what “seeds” you sow today, you might find a hypothetical majestic tree blossoming in your future. Who knows, even 300 years in the future, that seed you sowed today could become a forest.
What decisions are you making for yourself and others now to prepare for your future?
Have you ever heard of the Butterfly Effect? The theory is aptly named by a meteorologist who joked that if a butterfly flaps its wings in one place you might get rain or sunshine in another place. 1
The Butterfly Effect proposes that the slightest change to the past or present can have immeasurable repercussions on the future because we live in an unpredictable world.2 For example, even something as simple as squishing a butterfly by mistake when you were younger could have completely changed the trajectory of your life! Well, maybe not. Perhaps if you chose to take a different first job and had a different mentor you might not be at the organization you are at today.
At Spark!, we are moving forward. We appreciate that history has already been written and that the world is unpredictable. We can’t travel back in time, yet. (We may or may not be working on a time machine, no luck so far.) Everyday we work to live in the present, plan for, and build the future we want. We also recognize plans can and usually do change.
Just for a moment, think about the Butterfly Effect, but instead of the past affecting the present, reframe it. What actions can you take today that could have a massive impact on your future? What can you do today to create the future you want?
Start small. Take out that trash you’ve been ignoring, enroll in that class you’ve been putting off. Think about the relationships you would like to cultivate in your life. Identify someone you can potentially mentor. Everything you do today, and every decision you make for your organization can have a profound impact on what the future will look like.
Blink your eyes and before you know it 5, 10, 20 years have passed. Depending on what “seeds” you sow today, you might find a hypothetical majestic tree blossoming in your future. Who knows, even 300 years in the future, that seed you sowed today could become a forest.
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