5 Ways to Predict Your Future

Perhaps you haven’t seen this topic presented so directly before. Yes, you frequently ponder your future, but how often do you truly actively reflect upon what is in store for you? How often do you push yourself into directly tying your present situation to the actual plans and actions required to positively contribute to what you hope will become your near, mid, and long-term futures? This article is intended to give you a few things to think about. 

Anna Rana (https://insideiim.com/5-ways-to-predict-your-future) offers us five ways to predict how our futures will look, but not in a mystical, crystal-gazing way. Framed in a manner that addresses, among other elements, the decision-making ambiguities of university students on a day-to-day basis, her approach includes suggestions for taking deliberate control of the options we formulate now in a way that will lead to the eventual successes we crave. Rather than relying on luck or fortune-tellers to predict our futures, Ms. Rana suggests that the future is largely a direct result of the decisions we make ourselves, not the whim of fate. Planning and deliberate action are the key ingredients to success. Though our futures may be influenced by other things as well, the following five key considerations can pave the way to a successful post-academic life:

Choices

Choices always present dilemmas. What we may view as a choice that opens a door is also a choice that closes doors to other possible options. For instance, which courses should you choose each semester to prepare yourself for what you think should be your future profession? How sure are you of your chosen field? Can you easily realign your plans, should you have a change of heart? During such internal discussions, the struggle between your heart and mind can be uncomfortable, especially if you are receiving guidance (or pressure) from significant people in your life. One possible solution is to simply have the courage to make the best decision you can with the information you have now, because it is impossible to make decisions based upon what you might know in the future. Then, if you later learn that another path should have been taken, shake off the error, recover, and move on with the new reality. A true negative associated with having many choices is the danger of “freezing up” or making a reckless decision just to get the decision-making process behind you.

Extra-Curricular Activity and Volunteering

Yes, you have a solid idea regarding what you want to do for a living, and how you want to live happily ever after, but so does everyone else in your class. You all want good grades, and you all want to follow the traditional paths to success. Great! But how do you stand out in the crowd? What makes you different from everyone else? How can you turn the heads of job interviewers when all of your peers are trying to do the same? Yes, you should strive to excel in the classroom, but the extra things you do will help you stand apart. For starters, you might want to consider taking advantage of the extra-curricular activities available at your school. Are you interested in student government, organizing events, or becoming a marketing assistant for your school? These all look good on your CV, as do periods of significant volunteer work or community service. In short, companies pay attention to those who have social work experience or go the extra distance to develop and enrich their perspectives. It shows that you have a sense of balance in your life and can, in a word, multi-task.

Internships

Most students prefer to do other things with their free time, but taking the opportunity to get an internship on your record will help you stand out from the crowd. Your college years are crucial to your future life, and your image as someone who understands the complementary effect of experience, along with a record of academic achievement, is a great image multiplier in the minds of most employers. You may not earn a lot of money as an intern, but the experience you gain will not only serve you well in later ventures, but will look very good on your CV. If you don’t want to take time away from your studies to work as an intern, then use your semester breaks to further develop yourself and your image. And, if your internship experiences happen to be in your chosen field later on, you will stand out when you apply for your dream job.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Most people go to work each day and follow a regular eight-hour schedule. There is little variation to the routine, and therefore little opportunity for growth or departing from the norm to develop a personal niche in the world. However, some of us are born to make a difference. Although everyone has ideas, ideas alone are not enough – what you need is that unique capacity to take an idea and turn it into a reality. This is a sign of an innovator (someone who brings an idea to fruition) or a successful entrepreneur (a person who makes a business out of a fruitful idea). Most university students dream of having their own businesses, but only a comparative few are truly successful in that world – so the earlier you start, the better. If you have the desire to do something beyond your daily life, go for it. Take that step. Develop your idea, find and grow the team that will help you, and then make your idea a reality. Have courage!

Placements and Career Success

Fast forward a few years, and you now sense that the time and energy you put into studying, gaining and synthesizing knowledge, working internships, and hard work in general, is finally going to pay off. You want that super job in that great company so badly you can taste it! But don’t lose faith if it doesn’t happen the first time. Although that dream job may not work out, starting somewhere is important, and that “somewhere” may not be up to your initial expectations. Remember that everyone achieves success at their own rate, but if you are dedicated to your goals you will eventually reach them. Learn from failures, because they can often be even more instructive than successes. And, when success finally hits you, you will appreciate it even more! 

As you can deduct from Ms. Rana’s suggestions, the most significant variable affecting any prediction of how your future will unfold is you. Only you can decide to be successful. You are the most important factor in constructing your eventual fulfillment. As students in the early stages of your personal and professional development, perhaps Ms. Rana’s suggestions will be of interest to you. And if in your judgment, the present circumstances seem to be working against you, who gets to decide if these circumstance are deal-breakers for your plans, or not? The answer is…you.

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