I spend a lot of time thinking about the future, what we will achieve and what we will be inspired to aim for next once we succeed in reaching our goals.

Not too long ago I was overweight, lazy and unhappy with the reality that I had created for myself. Who I was back then did not match the vision of who I wanted to be, and that needed to change. 5 stone lighter and my first marathon behind me I have come to truly value the physical and mental fitness associated with regular exercise but I will always remember the pivotal moment which was crucial to my success. Something caused a ‘switch’ to throw in my mind and from that moment there was no question of what I was going to achieve. It was somehow as if my future had already happened. I never once thought “I wonder if this is going to work?” I knew one way or another it had to. I didn’t know how I was going to do it exactly, but I knew I’d find a way. All I had to do was increase my probability of success, and once I realised this I instantly knew what actions I needed to take…

When you have a powerful, compelling vision for the future it feels like it has already happened. You can vividly imagine it and it feels great. I now think of the future as an empty void of unlimited possibility. I know that anything is theoretically possible. Achieving the future I want, then, is not a question of possibility but one of probability, and it is what we do right now, in this very moment, which decides how likely we are to succeed.

Leadership nudge: How is what you are doing right now helping you to achieve the future you want?

By Simon Pollard

Learn more about Simon Pollard, the author of this article.