How to make your career 'future forward'

"When you develop a habit, you are associating a specific environment with a particular behavior. When you engage in a habit, you are basically letting your past actions dictate what you do in the moment. And that isn't a bad thing. Many aspects of the world are pretty stable, and you should continue to do what has worked for you in the past when nothing in the world has changed substantially."

"But, the world of work changes. You can't rely just on your habits and your preferences for what has worked in the past. Technology changes. Laws change. Competitors are constantly trying to find ways to cut into any advantages you have. So, how can you overcome your tendency to allow the past to rule the future?"

"We often don't consider the costs of continuing to do the same thing. Indeed, our habitual responses often happen quickly and unconsciously. So, we are already responding to the present based on the past before we have even thought about it."

Expertise relies on using past experiences to navigate the future through two main strategies: backward-looking approaches like habits and preferences, and forward-looking methods. Habits efficiently associate environments with behaviors when conditions remain stable, and exploiting past preferences—such as returning to favorite restaurants—often serves well. However, the professional world constantly evolves through technological advancement, regulatory changes, and competitive pressures. Relying solely on habitual responses and past preferences becomes insufficient. To overcome the tendency to let the past dictate the future, individuals must actively consider potential negative consequences of maintaining current approaches, recognizing that habitual responses often occur unconsciously before deliberate thought occurs.

Read at Fast Company