WOULDN'T it be wonderful to know what the future holds? If we knew what would happen tomorrow, we could plan accordingly, avoid danger and make the most of every opportunity. Unfortunately, I can't predict the future, but I can offer some suggestions for pre-paring for the changes that are inevitable and using them to your advantage.

To sense and respond to future developments as effectively as possible, you need to understand paradigms. A paradigm is a structure or pattern, a way of doing things and a model for problem-solving. Scientific historian Thomas Kuhn introduced this concept in his book "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions," and futurist Joel A. Barker later popularized it in his books and training videos. Barker explains that we have paradigms for almost all aspects of our lives-personal, professional, spiritual and social. According to Kuhn and Barker, people unconsciously create powerful filters through which they sort information. Data that conforms to established paradigms passes easily through the filters, but data that doesn't is difficult to perceive, if it's seen at all. In other words, human beings tend to see what they expect to see. Because each person sees the world through a different filter, what is obvious to one person may be imperceptible to another.

Baker considers paradigms useful because they help us identify what is-and is not-important, focus our attention and give us valuable guidance for problem-solving. He cautions, though, against allowing your paradigm to become the paradigm-the only way to do something-and rejecting alternative ideas out of hand. Barker also notes that people who create new paradigms often are outsiders. Since they are not part of the established community, they have nothing to lose by introducing something new. Finally, he observes that it takes great courage for practitioners of an old paradigm to shrug it off and adopt a new one. Pioneers must trust their intuition and exercise good judgment.