Your business future is broadly more predictable than you think. How dynamic will your life be in the next 12 months? What growth will you experience in your work? And of course ... how do you get a better handle on it?

Many people think you can't predict the future?
Wrongly so -- in my humble opinion.

Let's take a shot...
First, we look back. To keep it organized, I suggest limiting the looking back to the past 12 months. What are the highlights? And how surprising are they? Given the actions you took or omitted?

Taking stock
What are business highlights of the past year? Did you have accomplishments that you are proud of? Did you grow in position, knowledge and experience or could there have been more movement?

"Once growth stops, dying starts..."

Have you grown?
Personal growth is fueled by new impressions, new people and new situations. You grow when you are challenged and pulled just outside your comfort zone. To what extent have you been exposed to this? And perhaps more importantly ... to what extent have you sought it out for yourself?

Talking books, inspiring courses and good courses often give a huge boost to your personal growth and development. After all, they provide new insights. New insights lead to new actions. And new actions lead to new results. And thus development and growth... Yes, even when new actions lead to a result you don't like. Learning how not to do things is also growth. Okay, I agree that learning how to do it is more fun.

Compare and trade
Look back a year and to today. Is your development going fast enough to your liking? Are you satisfied and do you want next year to go the same way?

If the answer is "YES.
You can just keep doing what you were doing. Chances are you can predict the history of the next 12 months pretty well.

More of the same?
But ... are you satisfied with that? Or would you still like to achieve a different result?

Then ask yourself this important question, "Do I want more of the same?
If the answer is "NO.
Then remember what Einstein said....

"The definition of insanity is expecting a different result when you keep doing the same thing."

So you know you have to at least get moving. And then do so. And don't sit in a corner musing.

Move
Even when you don't know exactly where you're going ... MOVE. Because movement brings reaction and new insights, which help you find direction. To make things more tangible, concrete and doable, you can do the following.

"Ask yourself what the history of your business future should look like."

Dare to dream
Put yourself in the future. For example, three years from now. Don't be too modest ... Dare to dream. You can always adjust.

Describe in detail what your position is then. What your responsibilities are. And what you, in your work, excel at and are happy about. The more visual you do this, the more powerful it is.

When, what step?
Then determine where you need to be in 12 months to make this picture a reality. What knowledge and skills must you have developed by then? What must be in motion by then or even better ... what must be finished by then?

To achieve that; where do you need to be in 6 months? and in three months? In one month? In a week? Tomorrow....

The first step
Ask yourself what is the first step and what do you need to do to take it NOW? Probably that first step is quite manageable ... And so is the next step, and the step after that ... ... and ... you come to the conclusion that that dream is not at all as unreal as it first seemed ...!

Excuses
'YES, BUT...', you often hear. Or... 'I'm not that far yet... I still have to do this, and this...' or 'I'm still too busy now, later when I have more time then...'.

I have a surprise for you ... You're busy now and soon ... you'll still be busy. 'That's life'

Who is the director of your life?
Soon you won't have more time. Properly speaking, soon you will only have less time....

Because your life is finite and gets a little shorter every day. So you have less and less time left to take your life in the direction you want it to go.
Life is like a movie, and it has a beginning and an end. It has protagonists, extras and a director. For your "movie," who is the director? And who has the lead role?
Too many people are just an extra in their own movie. And leave the directing to someone else ... But you, ... you of course don't. You decide which way your life goes. Right?

"To what extent you take control and direction has a great influence on the history of your future."

Keep learning
The new people you meet and the books you read largely determine where you will be in 12 months. Something that comes together nicely in, say, a new course. The sooner you get moving, the sooner you can reap the benefits. And.... the longer and more beautiful the history of your future will be!

~H.Ben Mastboom, is founder of the Sales Leadership Academy, which in cooperation with the Hogeschool Arnhem Nijmegen - the only one in the Benelux - provides internationally accredited post-hbo sales courses . He also helps companies as a much sought-after speaker, advisor, coach and trainer how to become preferred and excel.