up:: [[Futures Thinking]] tags:: #on/future #on/actualizing #on/innovation # Preferred Futures A preferred future what you want the future to be, not necessarily what you think it will be. *It is important to describe the **preferred future** clearly, in a way such that anyone can answer, **"has this happened yet?"*** Usually preferred future statements are positive, specific, time-framed, different, and clear. Some common pitfalls to avoid when constructing a preferred future: - Magic wishes with no reasonable science nor signals to suggest that future is plausible. - Vague utopian, i.e. generic "world peace" futures. There are three things that can be done once a preferred future is stated to guide developments towards that preferred future. 1. Identify existing processes and systems that are already moving in the direction of the preferred future. How can these drivers be enhanced and maintained? 2. Identify existing processes and systems that prohibit the development of the preferred future. How can they be overcome or marginalized? 3. Identify new processes and system not presently existing that could help achieve the preferred future. How could these new drivers be envisioned, invented, nurtured, and maintained? ## Action Roadmaps One of the most exciting things about describing a preferred future is planning the path to actualize it. Start with the preferred future, or a list of truisms in that future, and list out actions that can be done in short (days and weeks), medium (months), and long (years) term timeframes; then separate these actions by easy to implement and difficult to implement. Once a draft action roadmap is built, share it with people for recommendations of other actions, future actualizing is an iterative process. Resources: - [Futures Thinking Specialization](https://www.coursera.org/specializations/futures-thinking)