Future Pacing: It Helps to Work Backwards
đ« Edition 48 of Coachology in Practice
âThe best way to predict the future is to create it.â â Peter Drucker
đ« Edition 48 of Coachology in Practice
Written by Paul Smith, Managing Director
Have you ever noticed that most people can tell you exactly what might go wrong in their future, yet struggle to describe what success actually looks like? Itâs something Iâve seen countless times in coaching. Ask a client what is stopping them from achieving their goal, and theyâll often produce a list longer than your weekly shopping. Theyâll tell you they donât have enough experience, they might fail, theyâre too old, too young, or too busy, or that now simply isnât the right time. Some will even convince themselves that circumstances outside of their control have already decided the outcome before theyâve even taken the first step.
Then ask them a different question.
âClose your eyes and imagine youâve already achieved your goal. What does life look like?â
Suddenly the room becomes very quiet.
Itâs a fascinating contrast. We become experts at imagining failure, but novices at imagining success. Somewhere along the way, our brains seem to develop a remarkable talent for spotting obstacles while overlooking possibilities. We rehearse everything that could go wrong, yet rarely spend the same amount of time picturing everything that could go right.
As coaches, one of our roles is to help clients challenge limiting beliefs, but sometimes the issue isnât the belief itself. Sometimes the client simply canât see beyond it. Their vision has become so clouded by todayâs problems that tomorrow feels out of reach. They arenât lacking motivation or ability; theyâre lacking perspective.
This is where we can apply the Future Pacing Model.
What is the Future Pacing Model?
Now, before anyone thinks Iâm about to wheel in a fortune teller from Bottom, asking you to âCross my palm with silverâ, taking your broken watch and your dignity in exchange for a glimpse of a lousy future, let me reassure you that isnât what Future Pacing is all about. It is a guided visualisation exercise that invites clients to stand in a future where they have already achieved their goal. From that future position, we ask them one deceptively simple question:
âHow did you get here?â
Notice how different that feels from asking, âWhat do you need to do next?â One question keeps the client rooted in todayâs uncertainty; the other places them beyond it. Instead of focusing on everything standing in their way, they begin looking backwards from success. Rather than seeing problems, they start recognising milestones. The goal starts becoming a journey they have already completed.
How to Apply the Model in Practice
One of the reasons I enjoy using Future Pacing is that it doesnât require complicated coaching models or fancy technology. It simply requires curiosity, patience and the ability to ask great questions that enable the client to visualise.
Once weâve established a clientâs goal and built enough trust within the coaching relationship, we can offer the exercise and explain that weâre going to take them on a short journey into the future. I always begin with a few moments of mindfulness or focused breathing. This isnât because Iâm trying to become the next meditation guru; itâs simply to help the client quieten the noise of the present moment. If theyâre constantly thinking about emails, deadlines or school runs, theyâre unlikely to visualise anything particularly meaningful.
Once they feel present, invite them to imagine theyâve already achieved their goal. Encourage them to be as specific as possible:
What can they see?
Who is with them?
What conversations are taking place?
What can they hear?
Most importantly, how do they feel?
What is very important is not to rush this part. The richer the picture becomes, the more powerful the exercise will be.
When theyâve fully stepped into that future, ask what I believe is the most important question in the entire exercise:
âHow did you get here?â
Then simply become curious. Rather than filling the silence, allow the client to think. Listen for milestones rather than actions. They might tell you they completed a qualification, had a difficult conversation, changed jobs, improved their confidence or finally stopped listening to the little voice that had been holding them back for years. Resist the temptation to jump in with suggestions. Remember, weâre uncovering their pathway, not designing one for them.
As the milestones emerge, work backwards together until you arrive back in the present day. Youâll often find that what once felt like an impossible leap now resembles a series of manageable stepping stones. Thatâs when the coaching conversation naturally shifts towards commitment.
Before finishing the session, ask one final question:
âLooking at everything youâve discovered today, whatâs the very first step youâre willing to commit to taking?â
A Personal Example
One of the clients I used this exercise with was a lady Iâll call Gemma for the purposes of the story (respecting confidentiality). She was an experienced middle manager who wanted to move into a senior leadership role but couldnât seem to get out of her own way. Every conversation centred around what she lacked. She wasnât experienced enough. She wasnât confident enough. She wasnât leadership material. Interestingly, everyone around her believed she was ready except the one person whose opinion mattered most: her own.
Rather than asking Gemma to create another action plan, I invited her to imagine she had already secured the promotion. I asked her to picture where she was sitting, what her office looked like, who was congratulating her, what she could hear around her, and, most importantly, how she felt. The more detail she gave, the more tangible the future became. It was no longer an abstract ambition; it was an experience she could almost touch.
Then I simply asked:
âSo... how did you get here?â
Almost immediately, the conversation changed. Instead of talking about obstacles, Gemma began describing milestones. Sheâd completed a leadership qualification, volunteered to lead a high-profile project, built stronger relationships across the business and, perhaps most importantly, stopped waiting for permission to see herself as a leader. None of these ideas were revolutionary. They had always been available to her. The difference was that she could now see them because she was looking backwards from success rather than forwards through fear.
Iâve often thought that Future Pacing is a bit like completing a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle (Iâm a nerd for these). When youâre halfway through, all you can see are disconnected pieces scattered across the table. Itâs frustrating, confusing and tempting to give up. Once the picture is complete, however, the route suddenly seems obvious. Future Pacing allows clients to stand at the completed picture for a while before returning to the first piece.
Limitations of the Future Pacing Model
Of course, like every coaching tool, it isnât suitable for everyone. Some clients find visualisation difficult, while others naturally keep returning to the present moment and the problems immediately in front of them. Thatâs perfectly normal. Our role isnât to force a model into every coaching conversation but to recognise when a particular approach might unlock a different way of thinking. Sometimes adapting the exercise or choosing an alternative model is the better coaching decision.
One thing I have learnt over the years is that clients rarely lack potential. More often, they lack perspective. They stand so close to the problem that they canât see the path beyond it. Future Pacing gives them the opportunity to step away from todayâs obstacles, experience tomorrowâs success, and return thinking clearly about the journey ahead.
This is Coachlogy.
đ« Next Week: Edition 49, âGoing DEEP: Challenging Limiting Beliefsâ
Keywords: Coachology, Coaching, Coachologist, Coaching Psychology, Cognitive Behavioural Coaching, Reactive Language, Proactive Language, Future Pacing Model, Coaching tools
