How can you create your own future?

As many entrepreneurs contemplate what’s next in their lives, I thought it might be interesting to see how Peter Drucker might help you create the future of your dreams.  This time of year I spend some time thinking about what the future looks like and what do I need to do to move towards my new goals.  This year I got a wonderful book to help me get the most out of my time investment. The book is called Living in More Than One World by Bruce Rosenstein. Its subtitle is How Peter Drucker’s Wisdom Can Inspire and Transform Your Life. Let’s see if we can help you create a more prosperous future?

Let me share a small section of the book that can help you better evaluate your options for your life. I can’t recommend the book enough if you’re trying to decide what the second half of your life could look like.  It’s full of great questions and then sharing specific examples that make you feel like you’re working with Peter directly.  So let’s get started.

The first trait Peter Drucker possessed was led his life by looking towards the future. This meant that he was always looking for new opportunities to learn and grow. If you focus on the future you are more likely to see new opportunities for growth and success. It’s an interesting fact that most of the successful leaders I know that live long lives have a future based time perspective.  It one of the ways they keep energized by the possibilities.

The second trait Peter possessed was he was always looking for new opportunities. He spent significant time observing both the large and small trends in our society. He had an insatiable curiosity and was always asking questions and looking to uncover clues that led to larger opportunities for him to grow. You might ask yourself when you last saw an opportunity and took action on it. Has there ever been a time when you saw an opportunity and failed to seize it? I have several close friends who have seen several trends but failed to act on them and they regret it. I think Pete Drucker never missed an opportunity to notice and share what he saw. He wasn’t always right, but he developed strong instincts based on what he learned about earlier opportunities and how they blossomed. Charlie Munger, Vice-Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway believes there is always a new opportunity available. Both men felt effective entrepreneurs and executives both know when the time is right to seize opportunities.

The third trait that Peter Drucker possessed was he was willing to not take action even when others thought it was the right time and opportunity. Climbing on a bandwagon was not something Peter would ever do. He believed it was critical to produce critical ideas on your own. Throughout his career he was able to see similar information as others, but come to different conclusions.  Succeeding in life is as much about the choices you make.  Learning how to evaluate a situation correctly takes time and patience but pays large benefits to the person who does this effectively.  As you considered the last time you chose not to go along with the crowd?  History is littered with group thinking that was wrong.  Bill Cosby once said “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”   I think Peter would agree.

The final trait Bruce Rosenstein shared was “Forget Safe Options, Aim High.” Do something that changes the world.  If you have accomplished much in your life there is a tendency to play it safe in the second half. I’m sure Peter would tell you the second half is just a prelude to a future you can’t believe. Take time to consider your options, but never let how much time you have left decide if you want to do something. Many people who bloom later in life miss the opportunity to change the world because they do not take on the unique opportunities that are presented in fear they might not complete them. A better approach might be taking on mentees who can help you finish the project faster or even after you’re gone.  Many of the world’s greatest scientific breakthroughs have occurred when the team that was founded by a brilliant scientist outlasts the scientist’s life.  Be willing to take on larger tasks and there is a good chance you will be around to complete them.

You can find out more about Bruce Rosenstein and his what he learned working with Peter Drucker.  You can find his other resources and books that can help you create your future at his website

See you Thursday.