The Futures Within (Back to the Futures #7)

This month, we turned inward.

As futurists, we often help organizations think long-term, scan for signals, or develop strategies. But beneath all of that lies a quieter truth: how we each relate to the future personally shapes the work we do. Whether we’re facilitating change, imagining alternatives, or making decisions under uncertainty, our own inner relationship with the futures matters.

In June, that theme kept resurfacing. In conversations about impact, identity, generosity, and transformation. In workshops on risk, reflection, and resistance. In a submitted proposal for Dubai Future Forum titled The Futures Within, where Darwin Sy Antipolo and our founder Mathias Behn Bjørnhof explore how self-awareness, empathy, and transmission are essential parts of futures work.

Before we talk about transformation at an organizational level, we need to ask: how do we each hold the futures?

How do we deal with uncertainty? Navigate resistance? Imagine better?

How we see ourselves in the timeline, where we come from, what we believe, what we normalize, shapes the kind of futures we make possible. So this issue is a gentle provocation to go inward. Because if we want better foresight, we may need to understand ourselves better first.

Let’s begin.

LOOKING BACK

📍 Futures Past: What Used to Be Normal Flying cars and space hotels were once the face of "the future." But many futures arrive quietly, becoming mundane fast. We forget that what’s "normal" now often once seemed absurd—and vice versa. Think asbestos in homes, radium in face cream, or toddlers roaming unbuckled in backseats. This month, we shared a post reflecting on how hindsight can both dull and sharpen our sense of change. What current behaviors will our grandchildren find unthinkable? Read more here

📍 Advisory Board Kickoff We held our first session with ANTICIPATE’s new advisory board: Wendy Schultz, Richard Walakira, and Miguel Jiménez. The conversation centered on how to grow without losing soul, when to focus vs. diversify, and what a foresight agency like ours might evolve into over time.

📍 The ANTICIPATE Compass We shared the eight principles that guide our foresight practice—from "Imaginative" to "Responsible" to "Inquisitive." They’re the foundation we come back to, whether designing a workshop or running a global trends study. Read and reflect here

📍 Compass Article: Futuresstorm In the latest issue of Compass by the Association of Professional Futurists, Mathias shared the thinking behind the Futuresstorm—an intuitive tool for making sense of change without getting lost in technicalities. Read the full piece here

📍 Idealism as Strategy What does it mean to be called “idealistic”? Mathias shares a personal reflection on why that label stung—and why it might actually be a strength. Maybe realism isn't as neutral as it sounds. Maybe the opposite of idealism isn't realism at all, but resignation. Read the post

📍 Foresight FAQ We launched our new Foresight FAQ, with 24 short answers to questions we’re asked all the time—from "What is foresight really?" to "How do I apply it?" Explore the page here: anticipate.dk/faq

📍 Paying it Forward, Without Burning Out What’s the right way to scale generosity? In a vulnerable post, Mathias shared the tension between wanting to help others get started and needing to protect his time. A reflection on boundaries, coaching, and why sometimes saying no is a form of care.

📍 ConsilioCircles on Supply Chains We wrapped up our latest foresight-fueled dialogues on global supply chains. Core takeaways: resilience is overtaking efficiency, compliance is becoming a strategic edge, and foresight is a deeply undervalued risk tool. We’re grateful to ConsilioNexus Danmark for bringing us into this space. Read more

📍 Automotive Retail Futures As part of a client project, we’ve been mapping the evolving EV retail landscape in Denmark. Dealerships, user journeys, cultural perceptions, this space is in flux. A different kind of project, but rich in patterns.

📍 APA Trend Scouting Cohort Mathias wrapped up a year advising the American Planning Association foresight trend scouting initiative, focused on urban futures. From EVs to invisible infrastructure, he shared reflections on what cities need now: not just smartness, but flourishing. Check the trends he shared

📍 Impact Investing Interviews Continue As part of our foresight study, we’ve been talking to pioneers, critics, and investors across geographies. A recurring theme? Everyone has a different definition of impact, and a different story about what matters most.

📍 Podcast Appearance: New World in the Making Mathias joined Adriana on her podcast to explore storytelling, identity, and the quiet ways we co-author the future. It was a surprisingly personal conversation. Listen/watch here

LOOKING AHEAD

📍 Foresight Training Relaunch This fall, we’re relaunching our training services, starting with a self-paced course and tailored offers for organizations wanting to build futures capability. Stay tuned.

📍 Foresight Masterclass At the end of July, we’re teaming up with Chloé de Ruffray for an online masterclass. It will focus on becoming a foresight practitioner, applying the tools, and turning it into a real offer. Join the waitlist: https://tally.so/r/mZXk0o

📍 Podcast Incoming The first episodes of our new podcast are in the works. It’s called ACT Podcast and explores how to turn foresight into action, built around our core framework.

📍 Summer Spotlight Series Over the coming weeks, we’ll be spotlighting a few selected projects, showcasing different formats and takeaways. Think of it as a mini-case series to inspire.

📍 Upcoming Talks & Workshops From a Danish workers’ union to a US art & design school to a European business network, we’ve got a diverse set of engagements coming up, all touching on technology, strategy, and the role of anticipation. Plus: a Vienna trip to advise on embedding fundamental rights into futures work and policy.

📍 Next Issue in August We’ll be taking some time to rest this summer. The next issue will be in August, after some needed recharging.

SIGNAL / SPECULATION

Dream Recorder AI A new tool claims to let you record and visualize your dreams using AI, blending neuroscience, memory, and machine learning. While still experimental, it taps into a growing trend: the fusion of inner worlds with data systems. It also asks provocative questions: what happens when our subconscious becomes computable? Explore: dreamrecorder.ai

RECOMMENDATIONS

Check out Polymarket, a prediction market platform where users stake money on future events—from politics to tech developments. As Diana Stafie (Parfeni) shared, it’s not truth, but it is a way to anticipate emergence. Useful for seeing how people bet on what’s next. Explore: Polymarket on CoinDesk

SPOTLIGHT

Find Your Futures Voice

Looking to explore your own futures path? Our coaching offering helps individuals clarify their approach, practice, and direction as future-makers. Includes 1:1 sessions, reflection tools, and practical guidance.

Learn more: anticipate.dk/futures-voice

Back to the Futures is your monthly glimpse into what we’re doing at ANTICIPATE. If you’d like to collaborate, bring foresight into your work, or just stay more plugged into the futures space, we’d love to hear from you at hi@anticipate.dk.

Until next time, stay curious.

—The ANTICIPATE Team