Most people are living into a default future. And they are completely unaware of it.

This past week I spoke with a successful and highly ambitious entrepreneur. He’s at a crossroads in his life and career and seeking a coach to support him through the transition.

Following our conversation he sent me a message asking a couple of questions…

“What types of people and problems do you typically deal with?”

“Where would you say your sweet spot is?”

The questions he asked didn’t surprise me. He’s a brilliant engineer. He also explained that he’s very rational with his thinking. I envision he has created a tool to help him determine the most suitable coach for himself.

The gentleman I spoke with this week took my mind to Peter Diamandis.

Peter has started over 20 companies in the areas of longevity, space, venture capital and education. He’s the founder of the X-Prize Foundation, Singularity University, and the author of ‘The Future is Faster Than You Think.’

Peter is a man who thinks deeply about the future. And he’s extremely positive about it.

One of Peter’s favourite sayings is: “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

This is exactly what I do as a coach.

In a world where it’s increasingly convenient to settle for a default future, I challenge my clients to create their future.

There is nothing wrong with living a default future. Many people have no problem living into a default future. I’m probably not the right coach for them.

Accepting a default future means that your life next year will look pretty similar to how your life was last year. The same challenging relationships will appear in your life. Your upper limit remains largely unchanged.

The opposite of a default future is a created future. This is one where you intentionally create your life based around your values or desires.

Living into a created future requires deep introspection and a willingness to go where it’s uncomfortable.

The clients who I work best with are curious about the purpose of their existence. They dare to live a life beyond the ordinary. They are willingto change how they think. They relentlessly explore and expand upon their human potential. They seek new understanding about themselves, even when it’s painful.

There are moments in life when we are called to step forward…. to step into an elevated vision of who we are.

There is not a defined process that is guaranteed to take us to where we want to be. If there were, we’d all buy it tomorrow.

I can’t say for sure whether or not the successful engineer and I will speak again.

I can say with high confidence, that choosing a coach to partner with is not a rational exercise. It is a decision the requires feeling and intuitive trust.

The journey to a created future is messy. The journey requires surrender to the messiness. The journey leads us to places we never thought we’d go, and places we resist visiting with every fibre in our soul.

Are you willing to get messy in pursuit of your created future?