Achievement of success, purpose or goals requires that those things be extremely substantial and capable of transforming your life. There seems little point in putting together a mountaineering expedition – simply to ride an elevator to the next floor. So the end game needs to be extremely significant to you and it should also be worthy (more on this later).

Thus the vital first part of our system needs to help us discover and establish what is the end-game, purpose or destination (choose your term) before we begin the journey. “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.”

This might at first seem rather easy and obvious. But it isn’t and a knee jerk solution is likely to be off the mark at a subconscious level – therefore rendering further progress frustrating and even dissatisfying. This is a fundamental reason why many ‘life-change’ plans fail.

The next article will begin to outline the actual system itself, as well as some of the key principles that make it so effective.

The tools and techniques underlying this system are readily accessible to anyone. They’re a blend of science, structure and the psyche.

Now, before you think, ‘whoa this sounds a bit off the dial for me’, you should know that these principles have already been applied and proven successful in the hard-nosed world of business entrepreneurs. One such entrepreneur is on record as saying that the experience was truly “synaptic”.

In the next few weeks I’ll be outlining a little more of this unique methodology that proves the ‘Big Why’ of life and applies this, plus the tools and techniques mentioned, to the task of actually shaping a future.

It’s a burning conviction of mine that ‘everyone in this world is best at something’. I’ve seen the explosion within people when they hit on what that is and are able to tap into the fuel and direction it delivers. They become driven, yet at the same time totally relaxed and with freedom of action.

This is just one dimension of the system I’ll outline, it’s the dimension that my entrepreneur friend described as ‘synaptic’.

I’m convinced it can be much more of my choosing. Starting this little series was an article proposing that my future is optional. In other words I have choice.

In fact who, what and where I am now is largely a consequence of my past choices. Therefore it follows that who and what I become and where I journey to, will be a consequence of further choices.

Is there a way of making the right one’s? The correct response starts with another couple of questions.

Who, what and where – do I wish to be? Define all these coordinates exceptionally well and I should get there. Knowing the complete set of coordinates means not only can I place myself, I can predict what lies between and the best route to take. A truly complete set coordinates is the secret.

Like using the most detailed map I gain a degree of certainty about the journey, that confidently guides my progress. I can position myself ahead on the map, trace my way back to where I am now. Then, provided I’ve not put the Grand Canyon in between, follow the right route and don’t get lost I’ll be sure to make my destination.

The second article in this little series discussed the principle of ‘created inevitability’. Therefore a system that could shape my future options needs to be able to structure the journey from the present to this position – by seeing the present from this future.

To be effective, to be inevitable, my system need to identify the intervening challenges as well as the strategies, techniques and tools to be able to anticipate, meet and overcome

But to be effective, the system requires me to do as well as think – I’ve already discovered that doing is learning. My system has to be practical.

The message for us is relevant to the previous article. The world is shaped, as we observe it and believe it to be. This principle has a huge impact on what happens, yet we’re simply unaware of it day to day.

The last article finished up by proposing that either we can head into the future from where we are now, the last step dictating the next as we normally do, or we can begin at where we wish to be and determine the intervening steps back to our last.

This is definitely not what we normally do and therefore at first would seem almost impossible. But modern physics tells us that it’s not preposterous and there genuinely are tools and techniques that we can employ.

The objective is to initiate a process of what we might, in another context, call ‘inevitability’. How close we attain ‘inevitability’ – of what we desire – is a function of several factors. These include confidence of intent, definition and effectiveness of the means, the system and actions we employ – all of which are continuously shaped by the feedback from our environment.

These concepts are a synergy of physics and the human psyche. From those described above, the focus of the next piece will be on ‘the definition and effectiveness of the means’.

As a taster to where this is taking you, consider the following. It’s accepted that the spatial dimensions that we perceive are joined by one that we can’t, that of time, giving us the principle of space-time.

Physics tells us that, not only is the passage of time variable, but that, in theory we can be aware of both past and future space-time, just as we can be aware of these vantage points in space alone. In three dimensional space we can predict where a point will be, by providing its coordinates. In space-time, we predict events rather than points – and coordinates provide us with ‘when’ as well as ‘where’. More soon . . .

Where you are now does not dictate where you must go. It can have an influence, no more. Each human has many futures available – they are optional.

Sub-atomic particles only appear in a single place when they are observed or measured. Essentially, they are potentially everywhere simultaneously – until we come on the scene. It is we, with our intent to measure, to observe, that places them in time and space.

Because we are aware of them, is the reason that they have this substance. Another interesting fact is that if these particles are associated but are then spread around the entire universe, then if you do something to one, you effect the others – even though they could be light years apart (in space and time). We create the universe as we know it. Without us, the universe would not be this universe.

Stick with me for the moment and accept that quantum mechanics establishes these facts.

The universe is only what we perceive to be because we perceive it. Furthermore, what we perceive is basically an internal representation of incoming data that is processed according to our belief systems – conscious and unconscious – and we construct an image within our mind and that represents our view of the universe.

I’ll leave it there for now, perhaps come back another time and dig deeper. But it’s good for us to have our beliefs and models shaken up from time to time.

Returning to the original proposition – that we each have many futures . . .

Depending on on what we intend to observe, we (consciously or unconsciously) select one path into the future. A different intention – a different path into the future. The perception of the data from that path is structured according to our belief systems. Read these three sentences again.

“If you want to change the world, simply change yourself.”

Now, imagine that you could pick where you want to be in the future. That you could go into the future and be at this destination looking back to where you are now and see the whole landscape in between. You notice many different routes that lie between. Only some  bring you to your destination. With that capability you would be confident that you can pick the destination you truly intend to reach and because of your powers of observation, to then pick the best path that to this end.

A final thought – without the end, how can the means be defined. So with the end clear, its now only the means we have to sort out. More coming soon . . .

The word itself comes from the latin fallere, derived from the root facere – ‘to make; act, take action, be active; compose, write; classify; do, make; create; build, construct; produce; produce by growth; bring forth

Failure makes us humble. Failure gives us freedom to try again and release from the stress and burden of the unsustainable. Freedom to . . . make, act, build, produce, produce by growth, bring forth.

Before the sun itself appears, it’s first rays penetrate the night sky and we understand  - they are part of the same thing. To be there at the dawn, we have to live through the night.

The thing is . . . to be there.

Are we humans becoming averse to personal challenge and endeavour – to the extent that risk of failure increasingly nullifies any new enterprise?

The guiding adage from previous generations used to be “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” Are we drifting more towards, “if you might fail, don’t try”?

Anything that subverts our ability to recognise, respond to and be exhilarated by the dangers of a new challenge or enterprise frustrates the Human Electric that sits (hides?) as our own little growth engine.

TV makes us dumb, the internet allows us to become numb – as we draw away from risking failure. We’re increasingly educated, academically and socially, to regard failure as a ‘bad thing’. Whereas it can actually be embraced as more of a transformational personal improvement experience than anything that teaches to risk nothing, for fear of failure

Putting others before oneself can be a worthy and righteous thing to do. Especially those who are in need, or those we love (sometimes the same thing). But there are times that this causes grief, for ourselves and even for others. It can place great stress and bring grief to the very relationship we wished to protect. I think we know just when we are not being naturally righteous, rather we’re dressing selfishness up in righteous clothes.

And I think this is the core of it all, our selfishness. We’re afraid – and we don’t want to face and overcome that fear. We’re afraid to lose a relationship, afraid to lose a self-image. Afraid to lose what we believe to be our standing or status with others. We’re even afraid to lose the illusory easy life, where nothing goes wrong. But of course it does; life is like that. But . . . that can wait until another day, we don’t want difficulties now.

We’re failing. Failing to recognise that the words ‘mistake’ and ‘error’ have changed their import. Alongside them we’ve now added ‘blame’ and ‘fault’ as their presumed consequence. By and large, mistakes should teach and their lessons ultimately reward. However these days, we assume that mistakes are unforgivable errors and will be followed by punishment – in the form of the loss mentioned earlier. Admit an error to someone and they may hold you accountable; better to cover up and avoid potential conflict.

But if a relationship only works in the absence of mistakes or wrongdoing, if forgiveness comes hard from another, then perhaps losing that relationship is the best that can happen. If we don’t fear loss, we actually gain. We gain a tremendous freedom. It is better to be who you are, to do what you feel is right and permit mistakes to improve you.

The way ahead is new and frightening, full of risk and unsafe. But the Guide does not point back the way we have come and does not allow us to look for false security, in the way things were before. Only if we accept the adversity, challenges and danger, will our guidance be given.

As with opportunity within crisis, a Guide is not at first recognised. A Guide may be a person, it may be a group of people, it may even begin with someone else’s story. For other’s it’s a voice inside, or an intuition that won’t be denied. At first it may not be obvious and only later do we look back and smile, thanking our good fortune to have unwittingly followed the directions of what had been our Guide.

Life ahead is not made easy, but the way forward becomes clearer and we become aware of dangers and the courage it will take to overcome them. Provided we believe in the journey that we must make, crucial insights will come – at just the right instant.

A Guide shows us that, actually we instinctively know what needs to be done. What yesterday we would say was impossible or too fearful, becomes the possible – with the courage of action in the face of fear and the supporting hand of the Guide.

Leaving behind the person we were and the safety of the prison that kept us warm, the Guide sends us the right way.

However after a while, our trauma subsides and guidance seems a long time ago. Maybe the Guide was imagined? And so many lose heart and give up the lonely struggle, seeking to return to the way of before. But because that no longer exists, the search for it drains the will and courage. It’s all to easy to become lost and find only the way to despair.

But the Guide does not return. The only route is to rediscover that guidance, which came when trauma cleared the vision and gave the heart courage – to recognise and make the Hero’s Journey.

In other words, something that is not happening, may not happen and may not be that painful if it does happen – ends up generating increasing levels of fear. More fear the longer we avoid.

Meeting and overcoming that threat and overcoming the block of fear can, however, cause a rush of positive endorphins – something that can be extremely exhilarating.

In fact it’s the mirror image of what happens if the fear of anticipation stays with you – it becomes debilitating, draining your energy, resolve and will. Anticipation fear makes it harder to act, increasing the anticipation and escalating the draining fear.

There’s a good deal spoken about ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’. This is a hell of a lot easier said than done and is not very helpful to most.

Better to accept that there might be pain and put it behind you as quick as you can; then you get the pleasure sooner. Feeling pain (anguish, guilt, conflict or whatever else you call it) is easier to accept than ‘feel the fear’.

Fear is about anticipation, therefore feeling fear is continuing the anticipation, which fuels further fear. Once you’re ‘into the pain’ the fear goes. You’re having the argument, confessing the error, apologising for the mistake, firing the executive. Not nice, but not life or death – better to say ‘let’s get it done’ than push it away for later. Still needs doing (same pain) but now you’ve had days or weeks of anticipation fear – on top! Once the action starts, fear only sticks with you if you feel that you’re facing extreme physical pain. Fear of mental ‘pain’ goes once you take action.

Get it done, accept the pain, avoid the fear and get to the pleasure sooner – whether it’s relief or pride of achievement.