In a recent episode of the Limitless podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with futurist Nikolas Badminton. One topic we barely scratched the surface of was the concept of the Futures Cone, an idea I discovered while preparing for the interview and instantly fell in love with. It’s a visual and structured way of exploring our potential futures—a concept with implications that fascinated me from the moment I encountered it.
Nik mentioned that the Futures Cone hasn’t proven particularly useful in a corporate coaching setting, as it tends to be too theoretical for practical application in institutional goal-setting. But on an individual level, I believe it offers a compelling lens to examine how we envision our potential, set goals, and even surprise ourselves by exceeding them. For someone like me, whose curiosity thrives in this space, the Futures Cone is a treasure trove of inspiration.
One of my favorite quotes from Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act is: “Don’t stop at greatness. Venture beyond.” At Limitless, that’s what we’re all about—venturing beyond.
What Is the Futures Cone?
The Futures Cone was developed by Joseph Voros, who adapted it from earlier work by Trevor Hancock, Clement Bezold, Charles Taylor, and others. Imagine a cone lying on its side, with the present moment at the narrow tip. Time extends outward along the cone’s length, representing the infinite range of possibilities beyond the present moment.
Within the cone, different categories of futures are laid out, all beginning with the letter “P”:
- Projected
- Plausible
- Probable
- Preferred
- Possible
- And my personal favorite: Preposterous
These categories represent different ways of imagining the future, from the expected to the seemingly impossible.
The Entirety of Potential
The entire cone symbolizes all Potential futures, encompassing every conceivable possibility and even those beyond our imagination. This reminds me of quantum mechanics, where everything is said to exist “in potential” until it’s observed or given conscious focus. In this way, the Futures Cone mirrors the moment of quantum collapse, where infinite possibilities narrow into a single expression of reality.
Within the potential future lie both the possible and impossible futures and the cone offers space for both. To illustrate this, Voros extends arrows outward from the impossible zone, emphasizing the boundless nature of what we cannot yet conceive. This outer region is the realm of Preposterous futures, and that’s where the magic lies for me.
Why Ridiculous Ideas Matter
In 2005, futurist Jim Dator proposed a law about the future: “Any useful idea about the future should appear ridiculous.”
Why ridiculous? Because we mock whatever threatens our sense of security or challenges the bedrock of our beliefs. Ridicule is a defensive reaction to the unknown—to ideas that seem to jeopardize our survival instincts. On a societal level, our collective notion of progress often clings to “common sense” and certainty. Yet, the most groundbreaking ideas almost always appear ludicrous at first. Think of Galileo, Nikola Tesla, or even the concept of the smartphone.
The idea of carrying a pocket-sized supercomputer would have been called preposterous just a few decades ago. And yet, here we are, with 6.8 billion people worldwide owning cellphones, an impressive statistic, but a whopping 5.5 billion of those are smartphones!
The Layers of the Futures Cone
Let’s break down the categories of the Futures Cone:
1. Preposterous: These are futures so far outside our collective understanding that they seem laughable. But, when Arthur C. Clarke famously wrote his third law of the future, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”,he could have been describing the smart phones that are so ubiquitous today.
2. Possible: This category represents futures we can conceive of, even if they seem distant or improbable. For example, self-driving cars once belonged here, but now they’re part of our reality.
3. Plausible: These futures feel more achievable because they rely on existing tools, resources, or frameworks. Plausible futures are ones we can explain in terms of “how” they might happen.
4. Probable: These are the futures that feel most likely based on current trends and data. If you had to place a bet, these are the scenarios you’d pick.
5. Preferred: This is where desire meets agency. Preferred futures are the outcomes we actively want to create. The challenge lies in not just wanting them but also in believing that we have the power to bring them into existence. When desire is matched by belief and action, preferred futures stop being abstract dreams and begin to crystallize into reality. They remind us that agency is not just about effort—it’s about choosing to align our inner conviction with the infinite possibilities before us.
6. Projected: Typically, this involves predictions based on existing trends. But on a psycho-spiritual level, it can also mean the future we project outward by aligning our energy and beliefs.
Bringing Preposterous Futures into Reality
One of my favorite examples of manifesting a preposterous future comes from actor Jim Carrey. When he was a struggling actor in his 20s, he wrote himself a check for $10 million “for acting services rendered” and carried it with him everywhere for years, until he signed a movie deal for exactly that amount.
This is the power of projecting your future. It’s not about “faking it till you make it.” It’s about immersing yourself in a belief so deeply that it creates a powerful resonance with your desired reality, compelling the quantum collapse to align with your intentions.
Beyond Greatness
The Futures Cone isn’t just a theoretical model; it’s a tool to help you stretch your imaginations and expand what you believe is possible. If you’re curious about what lies beyond greatness in your life journey, learn to let go of collective wisdom about what’s plausible or probable and dare to take inspired action in the realm of the preposterous.
To quote Arthur C. Clarke once again: “The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.”
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