Archives for May 2018

“Focus on the opportunity. Not the challenge!” – Futurist  Jim Carroll

I’ll be heading up to Vail, Colorado today from Denver, where this afternoon I’ll speak to the senior leadership team of an organization that consists of – two previous organizations!
They’ve had a merger, and so there is a lot of change, challenge, stress, politics, worry — all the usual stuff that comes about with dramatic organizational change.

And it’s only natural that people focus on those issues rather than the bigger issue – the opportunity that comes with the merger. They are in an industry which is seeing massive growth and significant opportunity – the future is wide open. It’s my job to help them see this opportunity, by framing it in the context of the trends that lie ahead.

People who are in individual difficult circumstances also have a tendency to focus on the downside, not the upside – and that is why simple motivational wisdom found in a phrase like this can be so powerful!

Enthusiasm should be your drug of choice!” – Futurist Jim Carroll

Many people anesthetize themselves because they can’t deal with change. It’s a bad choice – because the change they fear will happen regardless of what they do, and they won’t be in a good frame of mind to deal with the implications of that change. The result? More than likely, failure.
Notice the picture on the stage monitor – that’s the small screen on the stage floor that let’s me see my slide deck while performing.
It’s that Einstein fellow! I’ll often use the phrase attributed to him (but not actually stated by him!) that “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result each time!” Are you in a state of mind in which, confronted by the complexities of change, you always try and seek the easy way out? By doing the same thing you’ve always done before? You become dispirited and lose your focus? Your bad habits become the norm, leading you down a dangerous path?
Or are you prepared to challenge yourself each and every day, one day at a time? If that is the case, then enthusiasm should be the stimulant that gets you through!
I’ve met many innovative, creative people along the way, and I’ve come to learn a lot from them. One thing I see that they share is enthusiasm for the challenge. Rather than looking at the future at something to be feared, they see it as an opportunity to take advantage of, with some obstacles to overcome.
Mindset is everything in todays’ fast paced world, and sometimes, the right choice is right in front of you!

“If gravity is holding you down, launch into a different trajectory!” – Futurist  Jim Carroll

I’m a futurist. My background? I’m a professional accountant, aka CPA.
That’s kind of weird, isn’t it? It shouldn’t be. Years ago, I made a bold decision with respect to my career that set me on an entirely new path, where my insight is sought by some of the most fascinating organizations in the world.
Such as NASA! They have had me in twice (!) for a talk that has focused, by and large, on the future of space & the space industry!
I remain convinced to this day that one reason why I’ve managed to build this unique career is because of the business insight I developed during those early years, from 1979 to 1989, when I was with what is now the world’s largest public accounting firm. Later this morning, I’ll be on stage in front of several hundred of my accounting peers, talking about the fast paced trends which are reshaping our world. I’ll share them the key strategic thoughts they need to focus on to ensure their clients, or the organizations they work for, are aligned to these trends and can adapt.  How does one go from being an accountant – to a futurist? Long story, but 10 years before it exploded into public consciousness, I was online with the precursors of what became the Internet.  I was convinced something big was happening – something transformative that would forever change the world. It only made sense to me that if we were ‘going to link together all the humans in the world’ through computers and devices, that big change would come. I tried to have the firm that I worked for understand the scope of the change – and many viewed me as a madman, spouting incoherent rubbish.  I felt that I was being held back – my imagination was being stifled. With the support of my wife, I quit my job, started doing some technology consulting -and evolved into this fascinating career.
I was being held down by gravity, and I broke free! What decision will you make today to free yourself from your own personal chains of gravity?

“Your dreams should be so big that you feel guilty for acting small!” – Futurist  Jim Carroll

Yes, that’s me way down on that stage, and yes, you do pinch yourself every once in a while!
I have incredible gratitude for the wonderful career that I’ve managed to build over 25 years, spending time on stages worldwide helping people to realize their dreams by aligning to a faster future. And yes. I’m often back stage, looking out, wondering how I ever got here!
When I started speaking to groups, I never imagined that the stages would get more grandiose, and that the audiences would get bigger and bigger. When you are in the wings in Las Vegas, about to walk out in front of 7,000 people, you truly do marvel at the strange twists and turns that life can take.
Somewhere along the way, I realized that some people – not all – were clamouring for insight about the future, and even more important, the attitudes and actions they could adopt to turn it into an opportunity, not a threat.
So along with the detailed trends analysis I would do from the stage, I would also mix in a good hard dose of motivational and inspiration wisdom – after all, you won’t have much of a future if you can’t go at it with the right mindset!
Such as this gem. What will you do today to establish big dreams?