Whose Future Is It?

In the historic masterpiece film "Back to the Future" and the recently acclaimed drama "Inappropriately Excessive," we inevitably encounter the concept of time paradox. In works of time-warping narratives, such as these, traveling from the future to the past and influencing past events can lead to changes in the subsequent future. This is known as a time paradox.

What this teaches us is that the future emerges from the accumulation of various past judgments. In other words, if those judgments change, an entirely different future can emerge. This applies to our own lives as well. Our moment-to-moment judgments determine the future. In essence, it can be said that "the future is being created in the here and now."

Is Everything Okay Now?

The television special program, titled "The Tipping Point of Global Warming," has commenced, capturing attention with its provocative title (※1). The program focuses on the critical issue of global warming. The Arctic ice plays a vital role in reflecting sunlight and maintaining cooler temperatures. However, the melting of this ice leads to direct exposure of seawater and land to sunlight, resulting in further temperature rise. It is widely acknowledged that if the temperature continues to increase, halting the process of ice melting becomes increasingly challenging, making it difficult to mitigate global warming.

In relation to this, the BBC News from the United Kingdom reports the following:

"A study conducted by the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has revealed a historic milestone: the global average temperature has risen by over 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels on an annual average. In 2015, countries worldwide adopted the Paris Agreement, aiming to limit the global average temperature increase to within 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, in order to prevent severe impacts of climate change. While a one-year overshoot does not imply a breach of the Paris Agreement, it does indicate a concerning trend of consistently surpassing the long-term target" (※2).

The discussion on global warming has been persistently ongoing worldwide. However, the question remains: why does it seem so challenging to halt this issue? During the program, the commentator made a striking statement:

"We often fail to engage in discussions because we do not immediately experience the direct impacts."

The ones who will suffer the most are the future generations. We will not be the ones to miss out on witnessing fully bloomed cherry blossoms or relishing delicious sushi. For now, we may feel unaffected. However, the crux of the problem lies in the possibility that we may reach a point where we are unable to stop the process of ice melting. From this perspective, it becomes evident that our present situation is far from secure. This concept extends not only to the topic of global warming but also to similar occurrences unfolding around us every day.

We tend to adopt a mentality of postponement and delay, justifying our inaction with various reasons. Whether it's within an organization or on an individual level, such procrastination is alarmingly irresponsible and oblivious to the changing future. Just like the unstoppable process of ice melting, could there be other processes that we will be unable to halt? Let us reflect upon these questions and consider the potential consequences of our actions or inactions. It is crucial that we confront these challenges and take responsibility for shaping a more sustainable and secure future.

The Impact of the Question: Is It Urgent or Not?

In coaching, the quadrant of "Important but Not Urgent" is considered effective among the two axes of "Important" and "Urgent" divided into four quadrants. Personally, I have never questioned this approach before. However, after watching this BBC special program, I have started to wonder if it is sufficient to rely solely on the categorization of "Important and Urgent."

• Does the question of "Is it urgent or not?" lead to an increase in reactive and passive judgments such as "I'm busy right now" or "There won't be an immediate problem"?
• Does the question of "Is it urgent or not?" fail to capture the essence of the ongoing process?

Instead,

• What is the current ongoing process?
• When will its effects manifest? Is it immediate, in the near future, or much later?
• Is there a significant impact on me from these effects, or will it affect someone in the future?
• If it is not now, then when should I take action? Will it be in time?
• How should I start when that time comes?

Taking a pause and considering things from multiple perspectives, we can make a decision about what we choose in the "here and now." Based on that, we can even decide "not to do it now." This approach can lead to much more proactive decision-making than simply relying on the question of "Is it urgent or not?"

Let's Begin From Here and Now

In our modern era of information abundance and rapid pace, individuals now consume in a single day what would have taken a year or even a lifetime during the Edo and Heian periods. As a result, we often rely on the question of urgency as a determining factor in our decision-making processes.

However, I find myself concerned that this emphasis on urgency may inadvertently accelerate processes that could eventually become unstoppable in the future. Rather than solely focusing on urgency, let us shift our perspective and consider the ongoing processes that will have significant impacts on individuals in the future. Who will be affected by these processes? What are the potential consequences?

Is there a different perspective we can consider by asking alternative questions? Perhaps by taking into account someone close to us, we can approach the matter with a deeper sense of care and consideration, rather than solely focusing on immediacy and urgency.

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Language: Japanese

The author of this article

Yusuke OSADA COACH A Co., Ltd. Director
ICF Professional Certified Coach

Yusuke Osada graduated from the Department of Political Science in the School of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University. He began his career working in sales with Shiseido Co., Ltd., where he was responsible for the implementation of solutions aimed at increasing sales at cosmetics stores in Kobe, Osaka and Tokyo. Osada made the management of staff motivation levels a main focus of his work after seeing first-hand the effect of staff motivation on sales. His experience also led him to wonder about the relationship between communication and work performance, and how performance could be maximized through communication. This interest brought him face-to-face with coaching, and with the desire to help business leaders as a professional coach, Osada joined COACH A in 2006.