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Dear FutureMe, Right now is the starting point of you as a CPD Fellow. Don’t rush to solve other people’s immediate problems—take a few minutes to put yourself in a clear place first. Writing this is meant to remind you sometime later when things get chaotic: you are not drifting; you have direction, principles, and you are breaking those big goals into actionable small steps. What I hope to learn, overcome, and accomplish this year: I want to learn to listen more intentionally instead of immediately jumping to advice. As a mentor, it’s not about making decisions for others, it’s about helping them articulate their problems, laying out options, and seeing their own logic. I want to practice asking better questions, like “Why do you see it that way?”, “What assumptions are embedded in that option?”, “If that fails, how would you adjust?” instead of just saying “You should do X.” I also want to overcome the habit of hesitating too long in the face of uncertainty. Too often you delay starting because you want every step to be perfect—make “ship a rough draft and improve it” the default. I want to complete some big things: push the currency reform research (Germany vs. Venezuela) further toward publishable quality; turn several sector analyses into client-ready strategic briefs with clear conclusions, data backing, and action recommendations; and most importantly—turn “what do I do after graduation” from a fuzzy sense of direction into something you can write down, articulate externally, and have already begun to act on. By the end of the year, don’t be asking “what next?” but be saying “I’m doing X, Y, Z, and here is the next step.” Mindsets I want to keep and strengthen: First, keep the blend of “curiosity + validation.” Ask “why is this happening? Why don’t others do it this way? Is there evidence?” and then use data and logic to test, instead of settling on a conclusion first and retrofitting support. Second, reinforce the habit that iteration beats perfection: release drafts, get feedback, adjust quickly, release improved versions. Third, preserve a version of self-talk that is a little forgiving toward yourself and others—you're going to make mistakes, write things that aren’t polished, get pushback, but those are all on a trajectory of progress, not regression. Advice / reminders to myself months from now: Breathe: When things pile up, deadlines loom, and you feel submerged by the “must-do” list, pause and take three deep breaths. Then ask: What one thing, if left undone, has the smallest negative consequence? Start there. Write down assumptions: Whether doing industry analysis, career planning, or academic research, capture the assumptions you’re operating under. Periodically revisit: which ones were validated, which need revision? Move what you think you “know” from your head to paper. With peers/mentees: Don’t rush to give answers. Try prompts like “What do you think?”, “What’s the core value behind that?”, “What if you flipped the perspective?” The kinds of questions that helped you when you were stuck—pass those along. Celebrate small wins: Cleaning a messy dataset, making a complicated chart coherent, turning one slide into a clear story, giving feedback that actually lands—these are movement. Don’t only chase big milestones. What I learned from past mentors I remember the mentors who, when I was unsure, didn’t just tell me “do this,” but helped me unpack my thinking, laid out risks and rewards, and asked “what matters most to you in this choice?” That kind of patient probing, the ability to make complex things clear, and the tone of feedback as coaching instead of judgment—those stuck. I want to carry that into my mentoring by: Being clear without being aggressive: Provide frameworks and structure, let others fill in the content. Being honest with empathy: Point out blind spots while signaling that you understand the struggle. Helping clarify the “why” instead of prescribing the “how”: So others feel ownership over the decision, not like it was imposed. Year-end goals (reiterated): Be able to clearly state “after graduation I’m headed in this direction,” where that direction isn’t a vague “maybe consulting” or “maybe research,” but a concrete role, industry, or exploration path (e.g., targeted internship/research assistantship/startup strategy role/specific program, or a self-initiated project). Have made at least three proactive attempts to validate that direction: talked to people in the field, submitted at least two targeted applications, or done a small empirical/strategic project to build credibility. Still actively doing mentor work: have helped at least three peers make visible progress on their resume, career thinking, or research plan, and be able to trace what questions or approaches helped them clarify or move forward. Final line to myself: You’re not waiting for a “perfect moment” to start. You build clarity by doing and learning continuously. Say goodbye to the version of you that hesitates wanting to get everything right upfront; embrace the version that makes weekly incremental progress and has a real, actionable direction by year-end. You have the ability to break complexity into doable pieces—don’t forget that you’ve been writing code, structuring analysis, organizing thought, and helping others sort theirs out. Apply that same skillset to your own future. One more thing: If you see this letter and feel like you’re still spinning in place, turn back, write out the next 72-hour list, and pick just one or two high-leverage things to do first. If you’re already moving, give yourself credit, then ask: what’s the next “acceleration lever”?