Alan Kay, the REAL inventor of the mouse and the graphical user interface, famously said in 1971, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” A few years ago, I rewrote this idea in my book, Be Unreasonable.

“The best way to invent the future is to predict it.”

How would you like to change the direction of your life?

Or maybe just the direction of your business?

Or keeping it real simple, how would you like to get to “the next level?”

Yesterday we completed a rather drawn out move into a new home overlooking San Diego Bay, with a view 30 miles up the Southern California coastline. Hard work (I hate moving even if I don’t do the heavy lifting) but well worth it.

Now one of the things I love best about my work is that I was able to do everything on my own timetable. I didn’t have to check in with anyone. My schedule is my own.

Nobody was trying to track me down… Nobody was in a panic because they couldn’t reach me when they wanted to…
I set my hours, work when I want, can travel for weeks or even months at a time with no loss of income, and pretty much make the rules. And I can’t remember the last time I had to deal with somebody else’s emergency.

And even despite the fact that I’m not “on call 24/7,” my clients are consistently and repeatedly delighted with the work we do together and the results they get in working with me.

I like it this way – so much so, I baked it right into my business from the very beginning. It was one of the key “design criteria” that guided and shaped the business I’ve enjoyed for the past 18 years.

You see, the last job I had was a wonderful job as far as these things go. Great pay, interesting people to work with, intellectually challenging, lots of autonomy…

But it was still a job. You know: being paid a relatively fixed amount of money, by someone else, who had a long-term lease on my time, to produce results for them, inside of their framework.

Not necessarily bad – in fact, not bad at all…

Just not that good for me.

So I set about changing things by predicting the life I wanted, first creating in my mind what was going to happen to give me that life, and then creating my business out in the world to deliver on that life.

To have the business you want and live the life you want, you have to “predict” it.
And just to be clear: what I mean by predict is create it in your mind and then declare that this is the way it’s going to be. Both of these components are required. Once you do them, and then commit to settling for nothing less, then (and only then) figure out how to make it happen.

Lastly, of course, get busy…

So, I ask you:

What future do you want to predict for yourself?

How do you want the next phase of your life to go?

What feelings or experiences or situations do you want to make part of your every day?

Or, maybe you don’t want to change your whole business or life…

Just to keep it simple, are you willing to “predict” your next level? Imagine it, tell people about it, and then make it happen?

By the way, for many people this is an underused muscle. Most just go about their business and whatever happens, happens. Then there are those among us who see things more deliberately…

And one thing I’ve noticed is the difference that makes a difference for those who consistently get what they want is they quickly act on information that will improve their lives. (Get the hint?)

If you’ve got a sec, please share your predictions about what’s next for you. Hop over to the blog and – or if you’re here already – leave your thoughts and comments below this post.

Don’t be shy. The kind of prediction I’m talking about here is the stuff that will shift your life. As they say, “be proud and be loud.” Let everyone know…