Insights · January 25th, 2023

Writing my book – Facing Our Futures: How Foresight, Futures Design and Strategy Creates Prosperity and Growth – felt like a struggle and a great sense of achievement.

The struggle was born of years of book ideas that were never pitched and short article writing on predictions and tech, and constant research into signals – people, companies, and technologies – that could change the world.

When I signed with Bloomsbury Business in early-2021 I collected ideas and conversations about foresight and futures design day in and day out. Many of those have made it into Facing Our Futures and many lay in the hundreds of research pages I brought together.

6 months later I sat in an office in Palm Desert and started (thanks to CVEP for giving me a home). It took me a little over 50 days to write 86,000 words across 12 chapters. I chased word count and ideas. I submitted and then the struggle got real. The edit. Then the copy edit. Then some self truth. Over 20,000 words disappeared. But the residue remained. I’ll share some of the things discarded on futurist.com so do watch out for that.

Now, a few months later, I hold the book in my hand (and laid out for an in-promptu photoshoot on my studio floor).

It feels like an achievement yet I am scared. Some people really like it. I really like it and it’s my reference point. It was selected as the ‘#1 Hot New Release in Business Research and Development’ on Amazon in November 3 months ahead of the publishing date of February 14th (USA and Canada), and 16th (UK). That was rad!

I now have access to hard copies and have shared them. Some people I have sent copies to struggle to connect with it. It’s a little more simple than many futures design texts. An entry level and reference more than anything else. I listen to all feedback. I also realize how little people really value futures work at all levels of abstraction – complex and all the way down to simple application in business strategic planning.

Today I feel humbled. So many people believe in the discipline of foresight being important and that I am part of that story unfolding (hint – so are you).

I feel intense imposter syndrome. Am I an author? I felt this 10 years ago when someone first introduced me at an event as a ‘futurist’. We live in cycles of struggle-reflection-growth. In reality I stand on the shoulders of incredible thinkers. I’m trying to add to the canon of futures design by embracing dystopian futures exploration – there’s a framework for that in the book and it is ever evolving.

I would love it if you would consider grabbing a copy of the book – buy a copy here. I would also love to know what you think so reach out. I’m listening and open to your thoughts and ideas so please reach out and contact me.

Thanks for listening as always.

Category
Facing Our Futures
Nikolas Badminton – Chief Futurist

Nikolas Badminton

Nikolas is the Chief Futurist of the Futurist Think Tank. He is world-renowned futurist speaker, a Fellow of The RSA, and has worked with over 300 of the world’s most impactful companies to establish strategic foresight capabilities, identify trends shaping our world, help anticipate unforeseen risks, and design equitable futures for all. In his new book – ‘Facing Our Futures’ – he challenges short-term thinking and provides executives and organizations with the foundations for futures design and the tools to ignite curiosity, create a framework for futures exploration, and shift their mindset from what is to WHAT IF…

Contact Nikolas