Decision-Making Under Pressure

 The challenge as well as the opportunity to make good decisions is brought on board when confronted with high-pressure situations. When in a crisis or of uncertainty, the right choices can not only solve problems but also open up the way to the future and success. This section examines the art and science of making decisions in a pressurized situation.

1. Realizing the Pressure in Decision-Making.

1.1. What Happens Under Pressure?

• Psychological Effects: Stress triggers the fight-or-flight reaction that may obstruct judgment and cognitive functions.

Physical Effects: A high heart rate, sweating, tension, etc., can be distracting during the decision-making process.

1.2. The Nature of Pressure as a High Stakes.

Pressure often arises when:

• Time is limited.

• Resources are scarce.

Outcomes have very high influences on other people.

2. Fundamentals of Making a Decision When Under Pressure.

2.1. Stay Calm and Grounded

Emotional control is important so as not to make impulsive or fear-related decisions.

• Techniques:

o Breath in and out to alleviate stress.

o Take a moment to calm down and then do something.

2.2. Prioritize and Simplify

• Attention to the most essential aspects of the situation.

• Ask yourself:

o Which problem do you need to address urgently?

o What is the worst-case scenario and what can be done to mitigate it?

2.3. Gather Information Quickly

• Gather the facts needed, not the extraneous ones.

• Ask others (reliable people) time permitting.

2.4. Trust Your Preparation

• Rely on previous experiences, training or knowledge to help you make a decision.

Example: A firefighter in an emergency uses training to make a risk evaluation and take decisive action.

2.5. Use a Decision Framework

• use systematic methods to make decisions:

o The 80/20 Rule: Concentrate on the 20 percent of what brings 80 percent of the outcomes.

o SWOT Analysis: Easy evaluation of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

3. Strategies of Making the Right Decisions.

3.1. The OODA Loop

The OODA Loop originally was created to provide military usage and consists of four steps:

• Observe: Collection of data concerning the situation.

• Orient: Process data and put it into context.

• Decision: Select the most appropriate action.

• Action: Implement your choice and make changes where necessary.

3.2. The 10-10-10 Rule

Ask yourself:

• What will be the impact of this decision on me in 10 minutes?

What will be its impact on me in 10 months?

• How will it affect me in 10 years?

3.3. Pre-Mortem Analysis

• Suppose your decision was a failure. What went wrong? This activity will help to recognize and eliminate possible threats.

4. General Problems of High-Pressure Decision-Making.

4.1. Analysis Paralysis

Cause: This is caused by overthinking which results in indecision.

Strategic action: Have a time constraint on the analysis and look at what can be done with the analysis.

4.2. Emotional Bias

Cause: Stress or fear is a distortion of judgment.

• Solution: Accept your feelings, and then turn to facts and rationality.

4.3. Groupthink

• Reason: The need to fit into groupthink.

Solution: Promotion of diverse views and critical thinking in the team.

5. Life Case Studies of Making Decisions in Pressure.

5.1. Chesley Sullenberger a.k.a. Sully: The Miracle on the Hudson.

• Problem: Captain Sullenberger had seconds to deal with the problem when the two engines of US Airways Flight 1549 failed due to a bird strike.

Decision: He decided to make the landing on the Hudson River, and all the 155 passengers were rescued.

Lesson: It can be trained, calm down, and think on the spot and save lives in extreme circumstances.

5.2. Apollo 13 Mission

Problem: A shuttle rocket exploded on its way to the moon, which endangered the lives of the astronauts.

• Conclusion: NASA engineers were under great pressure to come up with a solution that would ensure that the crew was safely brought back to their homes.

Lesson: Teamwork, innovation, and quick problem solving can convert the situation that is close to a disaster into a success.

5.3. Serena Williams: Playing Matches under Pressure.

Challenge: Williams tends to remain focused when facing match points in very crucial tennis matches.

• Conclusion: She applies pressure to performance, which is based on her practice and strong will.

Lesson: When one is confident and focused, then pressure becomes an opportunity.

6. Leaders Under Pressure Decision Making Tips.

1. Determine Priorities: Determine the priorities of you and your team.

2. Communicate Effectively: Be open in decisions and reasoning to create trust and alignment.

3. Outsource When required: Use your team to help you in the aspects that they are very good at.

4. Test and Improve: Make sure to measure the results of your decisions and make changes accordingly.

7. Converting Crisis into Business.

Stressful environments present special chances of development and creativity:

• Get Stronger: Resilience through adversity creates mental resilience.

Creativity: Constrained conditions are a common motivation to innovation.

• Develop Trust: Decision making in challenging situations leads to trust in leaders.

8. In summary: Surviving the Heat.

In order to make decisions in a difficult situation, one needs to be prepared, focused, and adaptable. With the help of developed strategies, emotion management, and experience learning, any person can convert the high-stakes problems into transformative resources. Through experience, one will gain confidence in their capability to overcome even the most challenging circumstances.

Effective Communication During Crisis

 In times of crisis, communication is one of the important tools of managing ambiguity as well as reducing panic and building cooperation. The manner in which communication is managed may spell out the difference between the crisis, personal, organizational, and large scaled disasters regardless of whether the crisis is personal or is an organizational crisis. The following is a guide to perfecting crisis communication:

1. Critical Concepts of Crisis Communication.

1.1. Be Transparent and Honest

• Be a good communicator of the right information at the right time even when the news is not good. Secrecy and lateness of information attacks credibility.

Disclosure: In the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, open communication by the health agencies, such as the WHO, ensured that people learned about safety measures.

1.2. Show Empathy

• Be sensitive to the feelings and needs of other people. Connection and trust are created through empathy.

• Example: When a leader is talking to employees when laying off, he/she may say, I understand that it is a very unsettling time, and we are here to help you in any way we can.

1.3. Stay Calm and Composed

• Communication control on emotions helps in calm other people and avoid panic.

Example: Airline pilots tend to be composed when informing the passengers of technical problems, which gives them confidence.

1.4. Minimize Complex and Technical Language.

• Do not use jargon or too technical language. Crisis requires people to be clear and not confused.

• Example: Don’t say, we are facing a financial liquidity issue, just say, we are temporarily cash strapped and we are working on it.

1.5. Be Proactive

• Wait not till rumors and panic spread. Be at the forefront in updating and discussing issues before misinformation sets in.

Example: Rapid communication of cybersecurity breaches by companies assists in keeping customers loyal.

2.Action to Effective Crisis Communication.

2.1. Prepare Before a Crisis Hits

• Establish Communication Plan: Who will communicate, what will be communicated and what channels will be used.

• Train Spokespersons: Train leaders and representatives to participate in case of a crisis.

2.2. Understand Your Audience

Make your message relevant to needs and problems of your audience.

Example: In addressing these employees during a crisis, one would have to adopt a different tone when addressing them in comparison to addressing customers or the general population.

2.3. Centralize Information

• Select a zone of truth, e.g. crisis web site, hotline, spokesperson. This prevents confusion because of having more than one conflicting message.

• Ex: When a company needs to answer the recall of a product, one can direct all the inquiries in a special web page with the frequently asked questions.

2.4. Use Multiple Channels

• It is to be presented to every individual via multiple platforms (e.g., emails, social media, press releases, meetings).

The governments use the TV, social media, and radio to broadcast emergency warnings.

2.5. Listen and Engage

• Respond to feedback, questions and concerns. Bidirectional communication creates the faith and unveils the issues you might have been lacking.

Sample: The PR crisis firm can hold meetings with the employees and clients whereby they can be asked questions and answers.

3.Crisis Communication, Life Case Study.

3.1. Johnson and Johnson: Tylenol Crisis (1982).

Problem: Seven people died after taking Tylenol capsules that are laced with Cyanide.

• Communication Strategy:

o Pulled Tylenol products off shelves.

o Public warning and notifications made in the media.

o Added anti-tamper wrapping as a way of regaining the trust of the consumers.

Result: Johnson and Johnson have not only been given a passing test of trust by the customers but also created an example of what to do with a crisis.

3.2. Jacinda Ardern: Christchurch Terror Attack (2019).

Details: A terrorist attack has claimed the life of 51 people in New Zealand.

• Communication Strategy:

o Ardern demonstrated that she was even sensitive enough to put on a hijab when she met with the families of the victims as a sign of constant unity.

o Provided clear and empathetic communications of hate which condemn and actions to be taken to ensure future attack is prevented.

Outcome: The world was about to tell a lot about her leadership that brought together a nation that was grieved.

3.3. Elon Musk: SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Explosion (2016).

Possibility: This is because one of the SpaceX rockets has just blown up on the launchpad, and it has tainted their reputation and investor trust.

4. Communication Strategy:

o Musk was frank at the communication regarding the investigation.

o Concentrated on what did not work and the future operations how will be successful.

Conclusion: SpaceX recovered its confidence, and the successive launches was then produced.

Best and Worse Practices of Crisis Communication.

Dos:

• Act Fast: Uncertainty is aggravated by delay.

• Empower Teams: Provide the team members with the appropriate information to deal with questions.

• Express Solutions: Sell the crisis action.

Don’ts:

Don’t Ignore Feeling: Showing that you do not care about the problems of your audience puts your readers off.

• Do Not Spread Misinformation: Misinformation and guesses may increase the crisis.

• Never Oversell: Do not promise what you cannot deliver.

5. Intelligent Emotions in Crisis Communication.

1. Self-awareness: Be aware of how you feel and remain calm to be a good communicator.

2. Empathy: Learn, and take care of the emotions of your audience.

3. Adaptability: Change your message with the changing circumstances.

4. Conflict Management: Solve conflicts amicably in order to stay together when there is crisis.

6. Leader Communication in the Time of Crisis.

• Admit What You Do Not Know: It is fine that you do not know anything, as long as you promise that you would update when you could.

• Make Your Message More Likable: Myths give credibility to leaders who are vulnerable and caring.

• Congratulate Little Steps: Publicize achievements to maintain spirits when there is a long-term crisis.

7. Debriefing: How to Turn Crisis into Opportunity.

Strong communication at the time of crisis is not only about problem management, but also about developing growth opportunities, trust, and resilience. Honesty, empathy and taking the charge will enable you to transform an adversity into a stepping stone towards better relationships and success in the future.

Everyday Heroes

 These are the following some inspiring descriptions of ordinary heroes who turned adversity into chance, proving that greatness is often found in the most humble of people who can respond to great events:

                                                                                    

1. Dashrath Manjhi: The Mountain Man.

Challenge: Dashrath Manjhi is a poor Indian laborer who had to lose his wife as she was unable to obtain medical help on time, because of the absence of a direct road to the hospital.

Opportunity: He used nothing but a hammer and chisel to excavate a road through a mountain out of grief and force of will, which took him 22 years. His activities brought the hospital closer to his community which could not have been less than 55km but now 15km, thus changing the lives of his whole community.

Lesson: The determination of one individual can tear down the most seemingly impossible obstacle.

2. Irena Sendler: I help to save Lives at the Holocaust.

Challenge: Irena Sendler was a Polish social worker who observed how the Jews were persecuted in Nazi rule during the World War II.

Opportunity: In her attempts to save the lives of thousands of Jewish people, she transported more than 2,500 children of the Warsaw Ghetto to the safety of the non-Jewish families; she even gave them fake identities. She was arrested and tortured; she never told their location.

Moral: Silent bravery and altruism can save lives and give people hope during the most hopeless moments.

3. Julio Diaz: The Man Who Was nice to a Mugger.

Case Study: Julio Diaz, a New York City social worker was mugged at knifepoint by a teenager on a subway platform.

Opportunity: Diaz did not get angry but instead presented the mugger with his coat when the boy hesitated. He would even take him out to dine and this could have been an opportunity to discuss with him his life decisions. The experience changed the mind set of the teenager and even made him rethink his deeds.

Lesson: Hostility can be overcome by empathy and compassion and this can open up unexpected possibilities to grow.

4. Ann Cotton: Women Advocate in Africa.

Challenge: Ann Cotton was a visitor to Zimbabwe in the 1990s and witnessed that a significant number of girls could not afford school because of poverty.

Opportunity: She has established CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education), an organization which has aided in the education of more than 5 million girls in sub-Saharan Africa. Her work has made generations come out of poverty.

Lesson: One program devoted to education may change the community and stop the poverty loop.

5. James Harrison: The Man with the Golden Arm.

Case: James Harrison, at the age of 14 years, had undergone a major chest surgery in Australia which necessitated a series of blood transfusion. When he was old enough he had promised to be a donor.

Opportunity: Doctors found that he had a rare antibody in his blood after he was a blood donor and this could treat the Rhesus disease that was a life threatening illness to newborns. He was able to save over 2 million babies with donations of blood being made more than 1,000 times in the span of 60 years.

Learning: No matter how small and regular the actions are, they can have a far-reaching long-term influence on the lives of others.

6. Ryan Hreljac: Clean Water For Africa.

Challenge: At the age of only six years, Ryan Hreljac heard the news of the scarcity of clean water in African villages and was out to do something about it.

Opportunity: He began with building a well with a beginning capital of 70 dollars and his passion led to Ryan foundation of well which has so far constructed more than 1500 water projects across the 17 countries and has served more than 1 million people with clean water.

Learning: The will of a child can be the seed of monumental change.

7. Neerja Bhanot: Giving Up Her Life to Saves lives of people.

Challenge: Neerja Bhanot worked as a flight attendant in Pan Am Flight 73 which was hijacked by armed terrorists in 1986.

Opportunity: Neerja stayed composed when faced with pressure enabling passengers to get out of the building via emergency exits and protect three children as well as gunshots at the expense of her life. She saved 359 lives.

Moral: Generosity and courage during the time of crisis are all that can make one a hero.

8. Mohamed Bzeek: Nurturing Foster Children in Their End of Life.

Challenge: Mohamed Bzeek, a Libyan immigrant in Los Angeles, realized that there were no people to take care of the foster children in their terminal illnesses.

Opportunity: He has devoted his life to taking care of these children, he gives love, comfort, and dignity to them during their last days. He had treated over 40 children in a period of more than 20 years.

Learning: A sense of compassion and commitment to the most needy can generate an amazing meaning and impact.

9. The Cajun Navy: Volunteer Heroes in the Natural Disasters.

Challenge: Following the catastrophic floods and hurricanes in the U.S., such as Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Harvey, a great number of individuals were left without any means of survival and help.

Opportunity: A group of everyday volunteers called the Cajun Navy came to the rescue of thousands of people with their boats. They did not need government assistance, and mobilized to rescue lives and provide supplies.

Lesson: An average citizen can come together during a crisis and do something extraordinary.

10. Bunker Roy: Barefoot College Founder.

Challenge: After observing the absence of technical education and the infrastructure in rural India, Bunker Roy came to the realization that formal solutions were not always effective with marginalized populations.

Opportunity: He started Barefoot College, where the villagers (especially women) are educated in such fields as solar engineering, health care, and water management. These village people now restore sustainable solutions to their societies.

Lesson: Sustainable change can be realized by empowering people at grass roots level.

Lessons from History

 The following is a further elaboration of the title of your book, Lessons from History, emphasizing how the problems of past eras were turned into opportunities and how they still give us some valuable lessons today and into the future:

Historical Lessons: Making Challenges Opportunities.

1. How to conquer Adversity in Leadership.

There are great leaders in history who were in the situation of insurmountable odds but managed to convert these obstacles into opportunities to build the future.

Abraham Lincoln was the developed form of the Westerner.<|human|>The developed form of the Westerner was Abraham Lincoln (United States Civil War):

Due to the highly divided country, the leadership of Lincoln in the Civil War was a test of unity and integrity. Issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, he transformed a union war into a war of human liberation and changed the United States forever.

Lesson: The greatest leaders are looking to make a long term difference and they use crisis as an opportunity to make a change.

2. Scientific Discoveries Made out of Difficulties.

The most difficult circumstances have resulted in many groundbreaking innovations.

• Marie Curie (Radioactivity):

Curie went through numerous challenges in order to become the first woman to break through in a male dominated profession with minimal resources to work on radioactivity. Not only did her findings win her two Nobel Prizes but the findings also led to innovations in the field of medicine and energy.

Lesson: Revolutionary, systematic progress can be achieved through persistence, curiosity, and innovation.

3. The Social Movement Strengths.

Social movements have tended to be based on in-depth injustices and plights, where collective action can turn around societies.

- The Civil Rights Movement (1950s-60s, USA):

The movement gave an opportunity to change the systemic racial inequality into a wider struggle against injustice and human rights led by such leaders as Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and many others. Laws and societal norms were altered through peaceful protests, boycotts and legal actions despite the brutal resistance to the changes.

Learning: When we all stand up against tremendous odds, we can destroy injustice and make indelible social development.

4. Social Problems that result in Innovation.

The recessions have been a time when extraordinary innovations were made.

• The Great Depression (1930s):

Though calamitous, the Great Depression resulted in the development of important financial and social safety nets, the New Deal in the U.S. Programs like Social Security, and infrastructure projects not only contributed to the restoration of the economy but also created the basis of future growth.

Lesson: Economic crises have a way of compelling societies to unlearn existing systems and create a new way of living.

5. International Cooperation in a Post-War Period.

Countries have unified after the significant world wars to reconstruct and pioneer.

World War II and the Marshall Plan:

The post WWII Europe was devastated. The U.S. introduced the Marshall plan which was the offer of money to revive infrastructure, industries and the economy. It is through this collaboration that former rivals became friends and the foundation of the modern partnerships in the world.

Lesson: Team work and hope after a conflict would restore trust and prosperity.

6. Environmental Problems and Adaptation.

It has been witnessed in history that humanity is able to adjust to the challenges posed by the environment, which often results in development.

• The Dust Bowl (1930s, USA):

Farmlands were destroyed by severe drought and bad agricultural practices. As its reaction, some new methods of farming, land protection, and federal projects were established, which helped to prevent new disasters and fix the farms.

Lesson: The innovation and long-term planning are the only way to adjust to the environmental challenges.

7. Fifteen Lessons of Failures in History.

All of the challenges have not been turned successfully, but even failures bring some lessons.

• The Fall of the Roman Empire:

One of the greatest empires in history got ruined due to internal corruption, over expansion, and economic instability. This collapse also taught the subsequent societies the value of moderated leadership, economic control, and flexibility.

Lesson: Learning about failures will allow one to avoid replicating them in the future.

8. The pandemic as a whole compels the world to develop innovative solutions to surmount the challenges of the COVID-19 virus pandemic.<|human|>The whole pandemic also requires the world to be innovative when overcoming the obstacles of the COVID-19 virus pandemic.

Pandemics in the past have compelled societies to be innovative and adapt fast.

• The Bubonic Plague (1347-1351):

The plague caused great social changes in Europe though quite devastating. Increased labour shortages enhanced workers bargaining power thus enhancing wages and conditions. This change led to the abolition of feudalism.

Moral: Even catastrophic health catastrophes can result in the long term benefit to society.

• COVID-19 Pandemic (2020s):

The speed of innovation, including the creation of mRNA vaccines, demonstrated the possibility of humans to deal with contemporary issues with innovational science.

Learning: Partnership and technology can turn the crisis into a global development opportunity.

9. The Power of Visionaries

Captivity of a nation: Mahatma Gandhi (Indian Independence Movement):

The application of non-violent resistance by Gandhi in protest against the British colonial rule changed the struggle of gaining independence of India. His vision gave birth to civil rights and freedom movements all over the world.

Conclusion: It is possible to reach seemingly unattainable targets with the use of visionary leadership and moral courage.

Stories of Transformation - Inspiring Case Studies

 1. J.K. Rowling: The Story of an Impoverished Child to a World Renowned Author.

Hardship: Rowling became a single mother who lived on welfare in Scotland following her divorce. She was in depression and was financially challenged when she was writing the first Harry Potter manuscript.

Opportunity: Rowling persisted though he received 12 rejections by publishers. Her book was later published by Bloomsbury. Nowadays, Harry Potter series is an international phenomenon and Rowling is one of the richest authors in the world.

Lesson: Never give up and hold onto your dream, as it can improve your life even in the most challenging moments.

2. Nick Vujicic: Life Without Limbs.

Challenge: Nick Vujic was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, which meant that he had no arms or legs. He battled bullying, depression and hopelessness in his childhood.

Opportunity: Nick made a decision to concentrate on what was possible and not what was not. He mastered the skills of writing, swimming and living on his own. He is a motivation speaker and writer that is inspiring to millions of people today.

Lesson: Limitations may be used to inspire and empower others.

                                                                 

3. Sara Blakely: Building SPANX

Challenge: Being a young salesperson, Sara had problems with getting a perfect fit of hosiery under the white pants. She encountered too many rejections by male dominated manufacturing firms in her attempt to bring her product idea to life.

Opportunity: She continued to improve her product, and bootstrapped her business using her savings. The company SPANX turned out to be a billion-dollar enterprise that transformed the fashion business.

Lesson: When there is a way to notice an empty spot in the market and chase it to the max, the results can be unbelievable.

4. Malala Yousafzai: Education Activist.

Challenge: Being born in Pakistan, Malala was under threat by the Taliban because she defended the education of girls. In 2012, she was almost shot dead.

Opportunity: Malala employed her voice to get attention all over the world instead of dwelling on her experiences. She was made the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner and is still struggling to obtain education rights.

Moral of the story: The most serious issues may be transformed into the force of the global change.

5. Howard Schultz: Starbucks Vision.

Challenge: Howard Schultz was brought up in Brooklyn in a poor family and his parentage was sales. At the time he joined Starbucks, it was only a small coffee bean retailer. His visions were challenged as he wanted to make it like a cafe experience.

Opposition: Howard ended up purchasing Starbucks and made his vision true. His will made Starbucks a global coffee company.

Moral: When one has a clear vision and is ready to move on it, resistance can be overcome and global success achieved.

6. Oprah Winfrey: Poverty to the Power.

Issue: Oprah was raised in poverty and she was abused as a child. She has also experienced rejection and has even been demoted as a news anchor at an early stage of her career.

Opportunity: Oprah made it her way, and she developed The Oprah Winfrey Show. She turned into a social icon and she used her platform to empower and motivate millions.

Lesson: Use the pain in your life to cause purpose in your life and you can make an enormous impact.

7. Bossman: Airbnb Founders: Revolutionizing Travel.

Difficulty: Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia were unable to afford a rent in San Francisco and they had an idea to rent air mattresses in their apartment. They were treated with doubt and could not easily get finances to fund their idea.

Opportunity: The founders also pushed on, and continued perfecting their business model. Airbnb is a multi-billion dollar enterprise today that has changed the way people travel and stay.

Learning: Necessary innovation can result in a revolutionary idea.

8. Kathleen Steingold: Thomas Edison: Failure to Success.

Obstacle: When Edison worked on light bulb, he tried his hand at thousands of failures. His ideas and his methods were questioned by many individuals.

Opportunity: Edison viewed all his failures as one more step towards success. The world became different because of his persistence that resulted in the invention of an electric light bulb.

Lesson: Part of success is failure and the most important thing is perseverance.

Visualizing Your Best Life : Setting goals that inspire and motivate

 Planning your ideal life is an effective practice that assists in defining your objectives, enhancing motivation, and developing a successful plan. It harnesses the strength of the mind in enabling you to create the kind of life you want to live by actually living into your vision. This is the best way to visualize your best life:

                                                                                

1. Explain What Does Best Life to You Mean?

WHY it matters: You must have a clear vision of what is your ideal life, in order to be able to visualize it. The best life is personal and may include a good career, good relationships, financial independence, self-development, health, or a combination of all these.

• How to do it: Find time to consider what is really important to you. Ask yourself questions like:

o How does being happy appear to me?

o What are the successes I desire to feel in the workplace or even in my personal life?

o What do I want to experience on a daily basis?

o What are the most important values to me, and how do I prefer to exercise them?

• Incidentals: You can write in a journal because you want to make your vision concrete to make a better vision of how you think your dream life should be.

2. Mental Image of Your Best Life.

• Why it matters: The mind reacts to pictorial images and elaborate thoughts. Having a picture of your ideal life puts you on a map of what to pursue.

Why: This can be done by simply closing your eyes and taking some deep breaths to soothe your mind. Then, visualize your life in detail. Imagine that you wake up one morning, you live in your dream house, you are at your dream job, you are spending time with your family and loved ones and you are contented. Bring it as descriptive, as sensuous, as possible:

o What is in this utopian life, what you see, hear, smell, feel?

o What is your physical and emotional condition?

o What hast thou to do with me, and where hast thou a place?

Tip: The greater the number of sensory details in your visualization, the more real it will be, as this will assist in strengthening your dedication to the visualization.

3. Have Specific Goals to Attain This Vision.

• Why it is significant: Visualization on its own will not result in practical outcomes. You must be able to take practical steps in order to make your vision come true.

How to do it: You should break down your dream life into specific objectives that can be attained. In case you want financial freedom, you should have specific objectives regarding the amount of money you want and the actions you should take to get it (i. e. save a fixed amount every month, invest in something, be promoted).

Hint: To make sure that your goals are clear, measurable, and realistic, employ the SMART goal-setting framework. As an example, “Save 10,000/12 months by reducing costs and raising revenue is more measurable than save the money.

4. Concentrate on the Vibe of Living Your Best Life.

Since it matters: More often than not what we are really after is a particular emotional state of a calm, happy, excited, loving, etc. Visualizing the appearance of your life and how you would feel about it will help draw more of those emotions.

How to do it: In the process of you visualization, you want to be particularly cognizant of the emotions you experience in your ideal life. Think about the way of the accomplishment of these goals will make you feel.

o Are you proud of what you have achieved?

o Thanks are you thankful about the people in your life?

o Are you feeling relaxed and at peace?

Tip: Build upon these positive feelings day by day, however, you may not have it all yet in your vision. This assists in aligning your mind and the goals and keeps you motivated.

5. Testify to Your Vision with Affirmations.

• What it means to you: Affirmations are an influential technique to re-pattern your subconscious in order to propel you towards your desired vision. They will encourage you to stop being self-doubtful and thinking in negative terms because they will make you believe that you can get to your own best life.

How: Be able to write down a list of positive affirmations that are connected to your goals and future vision. For example:

o I can make the life I wanted.

o I seek prosperity and wealth.

o I deserve to live my best life.

• TIP: Be consistent in repeating the affirmations you have made day by day, at least in the morning and before going to sleep. In the long run, they will contribute to the fostering of confidence and buttressing of your visualization.

6. Create a Vision Board

Why it is so important: A vision board is an artistic depiction of what you want and what you are dreaming about. It acts as a reminder of your dreams at all times, which makes you remain focused and motivated.

How to do it: Gather pictures, quotes and symbols that portray your dream life. These may be images of the house you desire, the profession you desire, destinations you desire to visit and anything that makes you feel successful and happy.

o Prepare these things on a board, poster, or an electronic document in a manner that you find inspiring.

There are a few tips that you can use to keep your vision board at a location that you will look at all the time, such as by your desk, or on your bedroom wall. This reminds your best life in your eye of mind.

7. Live Because Your Best Life is Underway.

• Reason why this matters: The closer you get at the feeling, actions and thinking of who you want to be, the closer you will come to your vision.

How to do it: Begin practicing habits and behaviors which are congruent with your future self. As an example, when having a dream of a healthier life, begin to eat healthier and work out even when you have yet to achieve it.

• Techno tip: Be bold enough to take risks and make decisions that portray the kind of person you are becoming. The decisions you make today are the product of your future self.

8. Take Steady Step in the Right Direction.

The reason behind it is: The process of visualization can be such an inspiration yet it is not until you actually start that you start to see tangible improvement. The actions you take on a daily basis determine your best life in future.

How to do it: You have to break down the actions you need to take to accomplish your goals into small and easy steps. Action steps are to be set daily, weekly, and monthly, which will make you closer to your vision.

• Hint: Check on your progress frequently. The smallest of actions will create momentum and a routine will make you believe that you can live your best life.

9. Keep an Open Mind, and Seize new opportunities.

Why it matters: It can happen that sometimes the right direction to your dream life can appear differently than what you thought in the first place. Openness to new possibilities enables you to change and take up new opportunities that can be more compatible with your dreams.

• How to do it: Be loose about the way your vision is being realized. Believe in the fact that you should be able to do something regularly and you will have those chances, although they might not always turn out the way you wanted them to be.

• Tip: You should never stop being inquisitive and ready to learn. When changes come about in a way that you are not anticipating, then accept them and make it a part of your path towards the best life ever.

Final Thought:

Your best life is not merely about visualizing a result, but by experiencing it, and aligning your daily behaviors to it, as well as by remaining devoted to it. Having a clear understanding of your objectives, concentrating on the feelings you wish to be feeling and making conscious steps, you put yourself on the road to growth achievement and fulfilment. Keep in mind that your future, as you are dreaming about, starts with the mentality and decisions you develop now.

The Art of Thinking Forward : Cultivating a future-focused mindset

 There was a farmer Ravi who once lived in a little village which was placed in the hills. He was a great farmer and what was outstanding about him was his forward thinking capability. When other people in the village remained interested in the immediate things that needed to be done, Ravi always had an idea of how his land would be one day.

One year there was a serious drought in the village. The harvests were withering and the people of the village were anxious. They toiled and toiled, wishing that the rain would fall at a particular moment but it did not. Everybody was busy trying to survive the current time- watering their crops with the little remaining water and praying. The majority of farmers were desperately planting additional crops hoping to have a miracle.

Ravi did not react the same way though. He did not only focus on the present but rather took a step back and posed a question on himself; what will I require in the next few years? What shall I do to give my land more strength in the future?

He concluded that during his time of waiting the rain, he would use the dry season to save towards the long term. He created trenches to preserve the rainwater that could fall and plant trees that were resistant to drought in his fields and engaged in the process of making his soil fertile through composting and crop rotation. He also took time to study other new methods and technology of farming that could assist in irrigation and water conservation.

Several months elapsed and the drought was over but the damage caused on the crops was too immense. Those villagers that were preoccupied with making it through the immediate crisis found it hard to move on. They had planted new crops, but the earth had been exhausted, and their next season was going to be a hard one.

                                                                                               

Instead, Ravi was not only in a position to save part of his crops but also a quality harvest of the trees which he had earlier planted. The land he had cultivated was more healthy and even his farm was already starting to show improvement even before the rains came back. His consideration of the future was well-compensated.

The success of Ravi astounded the villagers when they saw it. What made you think that things would change? they asked.

I did not just think about today or tomorrow, replied Ravi smiling. I reasoned what I might be, and I arranged it. Thinking forward is not merely about the ability to survive at the present moment, but the ability to prepare the future it is to know that everything you decide to do now is shaping the future opportunities of tomorrow.

Moral of the Story:

Thinking forward is an art of doing things before they happen, staying ahead of challenges and preparing in case of the challenges. Whereas others might tend to have only short-term survival as their interest, the future planners are able to go past the hurdles and create more solid and tougher platforms. Similar to Ravi, we should also be able to learn to see past the immediate and make a decision that will have a long run positive impact on us.

It is important, as it will enable you to judge and look into your future and make better decisions and take regular actions towards reaching your long-range objectives. It makes sure that you do not get entangled in the current complications or distractions but rather remain focused and active towards the development of the life that you desire to live. Such an attitude will enable you to develop and keep on developing, embrace change, and have the will power to go through the challenges.

The reasons why such an outlook on the future is essential include the following: Some of the examples that illustrate this notion are real-life:

1. It Assists You in Making Long term Goals.

• Reasons why it matters: A vision of your future provides you with focus and direction. It teaches you to put first things first, to concentrate on those things that will result in long term success.

Real-time example: Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla has always been a forward-thinking person. Having a multi-planetary species of humankind is his vision in the long term. He remained loyal to this future vision even when his companies were falling behind financially, which resulted in the radical innovation that has seen SpaceX and Tesla realize.

2. It Promotes Preemptive decision-making.

Why it is relevant: A futuristic type of thinking makes you think forward and make choices that are not in response to the immediate situation but in line with what you aspire to be down the line.

• Living example: Bill Gates is notorious in having left Harvard University in real-time to realize his dream of starting up a software company. He was looking at the future of personal computing and took a long-term success-oriented decision though that required abandoning the traditional way of success.

3. It Enhances Strength and Endurance.

• Why it matters: It is easier to overcome current setbacks when you are thinking in the long-term. An attitude towards the future causes you to look at the obstacles as a transient affair and you are likely to overcome the challenges using strong will.

Real life example: J.K. Rowling, the Harry Potter books author, has endured hundreds of rejections before her book was published. She did not allow the short-term failures to discourage her though. She still thought that her work will be successful in the future, and the series finally turned into a worldwide trend.

4. It Promotes Development and Education.

Until now: This is why it matters: Future-focused thinking promotes never-ending self-development. You are always seeking means to hone your abilities, competencies, and expertise in a bid to achieve your future aspirations.

Oprah Winfrey: real-time example Winfrey has always been concerned with personal growth and learning. Being a victim of a harmful childhood and became one of the most influential media owners, the future-oriented thinking of Oprah assisted her to never stop learning, evolving, and creating her empire basing on her idea of empowerment and success.

5. It Helps You Adapt to Change

• The importance of this: The future is not always predictable. Preparation, the futuristic approach will enable you to be flexible and receptive to change so that you are able to pivot whenever the need arises without losing track of your overall objectives.

Real-time example: Netflix began as a service of online DVD rentals and then turned its business to streaming, where it identified potential of using digital media in the future. CEO Reed Hastings retained his vision of transforming entertainment and although Netflix faced resistance at first, it managed to change and emerge as an industry leader.

6. It Helps You to establish healthy behaviors.

Formalizing the point, it is important because when you think about the future you want, you are encouraged to make little, regular steps in the present, which will result in the future. This creates a base of long term success.

Real-life example: Michael Phelps, an Olympic swimmer, had a vision of being in the position to win gold medals since he was a young child. His habit of intense training, eating and thinking about the future were a direct manifestation of his attitude toward the future. His winning of the Olympics is due to the planning and discipline.

7. It Will Wake Up Your Time Management.

Why it is important: Future-oriented mentality will ensure that you engage in activities that will bring you closer to what you want to achieve so that you can better manage your time allocation.

• Real-life case study: Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, is a person with extremely strict time management. His early rising, concentration of the day, and spending of his time on activities that bring long-term success to Apple is the reason. He has an excellent future-oriented mind portrayed by his ability to manage time efficiently.

8. It Instills Confidence and Morale.

What is important about it: With such a clear idea of how you see yourself in your future and knowing what actions you will have to take to get there, you can be confident. You also remain motivated since you are aware that what you are doing is not futile and it will result to something bigger.

Real-life example: Serena Williams, one of the greatest tennis players of all times, has always had a clear view of where she wanted to go in life and despite her injuries or disappointments, she always stayed focused on this direction. She dreams about her victory, trains, and never looks out of the window. Her ability to focus on the future has made her career in tennis last longer and remain dominant.

In Summary:

I need a future oriented mentality to realise long term success and progress. It enables you to have goals, take initiative, remain strong amidst the challenges, keep on learning, embrace change and organize your time and activities efficiently. Examples that include Elon Musk, J.K. Rowling, Oprah Winfrey, and Michael Phelps clearly demonstrate that with the help of looking at the big picture and not giving up on your vision, you will be able to cross the current hurdles and create a significant future.

In the present world that is characterized by speed, futuristic thinking is not only good but also essential to keeping pace so that one can realize his or her potential as well as attain success in the long-term.