In the early 1990s a colleague used the word “futurisktic” or at least that’s what I thought I heard. (Note: I tried to give him credit years ago but he claims not to have coined the word). Anyway, I was intrigued by the word that cleverly combined future and risk and I quickly adopted it for use in my musings about the future and in some of my presentations and publications.
Seth Godin wrote a recent blog in which he argued that “every presentation worth doing has just one purpose” and that is to make change happen. According to Godin, “change, of course, opens doors, it creates possibilities and it’s fraught with danger and apparent risk. Much easier to deny this than it is to embrace it.” Godin’s advice seems to fit with what I identify as futurisktic.
As a concept, “futurisktic” implies keeping an eye to and a vision for the future with attention to the opportunities and challenges (risks) associated with progress. Being futurisktic is about change. It is about embracing risk as an integral aspect of change. Risk should not be viewed as a negative but risk taking will likely force us out of our comfort zones. By doing so, it allows us to acknowledge and embrace the meaningfulness and value of change. I’m not arguing for change simply for change sake or simply taking risks without thought. Being futurisktic is about pushing ourselves and pushing the limits as is so wonderfully exemplified in the video entitled the future is ours.
Another example among many is the TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson about the learning revolution in which he describes the need for revolution not evolution. To actively engage in transformation and to acknowledge that often what stops us from making progress is the “tyranny of common sense.” Robinson argues for and encourages us to become active participants in the learning revolution.
These examples are but a few of those that illustrate futurisktic endeavors. They provide examples of intentional, purposeful and meaningful change – growth, progress and advancement. We live in a time of rapid change. As we engage change, I encourage us to be futuristic in our thinking with a willingness to take risks – that is, futurisktic!
Ha – thats a clever word/spelling. As a non native speaker it took me a while to recognize that the k is not usually there. When googling futurisktic Google automatically changes the word to its “correct” spelling.
Yes allowing changes means taking chances and being risky. But not allowing changes might be even riskier – since even though we might be against change, we cant stop change from happening around us and if everyone and everything else progresses we will be at a higher risk for failure if we are stuck in the past.
Personally, I like my comfort zone. Over break, I came to the realization that my Tolkien character *might* just be a hobbit – I like sticking to my patterns and habits. And I don’t especially enjoy change just for the sake of changing.
However, that does not mean that I am 100% adverse to taking risks – I just need to see a reason for doing so. I think that this concept of “futurisktic” is therefore approachable, as it is based more on the idea of pushing limits instead of just jumping off the cliff.
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