The Forecast

The quarterly forecasting meeting began at 7:02 AM.

Aditi 2 had scheduled it.

Which meant it was mandatory.

Aditi 1: I hate forecasting.

Aditi 3: Same.

Aditi 2: That's because neither of you understand forecasting.

Aditi 1: I understand it.

Aditi 2: Explain it.

Aditi 1: Making up numbers professionally.

Aditi 2: That's not forecasting.

Aditi 3: It's a little forecasting.

Aditi 2: No.

Aditi 3: A little.

Aditi 2 opened a spreadsheet.

The room's morale immediately dropped 17%.

Aditi 2: Let’s discuss the future.

Aditi 1: Impossible.

Aditi 2: Why?

Aditi 1: The future hasn’t happened yet.

Aditi 2: That is the entire point of forecasting.

Aditi 3: I see both sides.

Aditi 2: Of course you do.

Aditi 2: Question one.

Where do we think we’ll be in a year?

Aditi 1: Happy.

Aditi 2: Not measurable.

Aditi 1: Rude.

Aditi 3: Successful.

Aditi 2: Also not measurable.

Aditi 3: You’re taking all the fun out of this.

Aditi 2: That’s literally my role.

Aditi 1: Fair.

Aditi 2 typed for a moment.

Aditi 1 watched.

Aditi 3 watched.

Aditi 2: Can I tell you something?

Aditi 1: Sure.

Aditi 3: Sure.

Aditi 2: Every year I've been wrong.

Aditi 1: About what?

Aditi 2: Everything.

Aditi 3: Interesting.

Aditi 2: Five years ago I couldn't have predicted this.

Aditi 1: The job?

Aditi 2: The job.

Aditi 3: The studio?

Aditi 2: The studio.

Aditi 1: Jelli?

Aditi 2: Definitely Jelli.

Aditi 3: The candle company?

Aditi 2: Especially the candle company.

The room became quiet.

Aditi 1: That's kind of comforting.

Aditi 2: Why?

Aditi 1: Because every good thing seems to have arrived unexpectedly.

Aditi 3: Oh.

Aditi 1: None of the best parts were on a spreadsheet.

Aditi 2 sat back.

Aditi hated when Aditi 1 accidentally made a good point.

Aditi 2: That's not entirely true.

Aditi 1: No?

Aditi 2: Some of them started as plans.

Aditi 3: Like what?

Aditi 2: The studio.

Aditi 3: Fair.

Aditi 2: The savings account.

Aditi 1: Fair.

Aditi 2: The business.

Aditi 3: Very fair.

Aditi 2: The problem is that I keep thinking planning creates the future.

Aditi 1: Doesn't it?

Aditi 2: Partly.

Aditi 3: What's the other part?

Aditi 2 looked out the window.

Aditi 2: Showing up.

The room got quiet again.

Aditi 2: Most things happen because we keep showing up.

The workouts.

The business.

The friendships.

The opportunities.

The life.

Aditi 3: That's annoyingly wise.

Aditi 2: Thank you.

Aditi 3: I hated it.

Aditi 2: I know.

Aditi 1: So what's the forecast?

Aditi 2: I have no idea.

Aditi 1: What?

Aditi 3: What?

Aditi 2: I genuinely don't know.

Aditi 1: Then why did we have a meeting?

Aditi 2: Because uncertainty feels better in a spreadsheet.

Aditi 3: That's the most Aditi 2 thing you've ever said.

Aditi 1: Agreed.

Aditi 2: Thank you.

Aditi 1: That wasn't praise.

Aditi 2: I've chosen to receive it as praise.

The room paused.

Aditi 3: Wait.

Aditi 2: What?

Aditi 3: Did you just pull an Aditi 1?

Aditi 1: She did.

Aditi 2: Absolutely not.

Aditi 1: That’s exactly what I say.

Aditi 3: She’s evolving.

Aditi 2: The meeting is over.

Narrator:
The forecast was completed at 8:04 AM.

It was wrong.

Not because the numbers were bad.

Because the future was far more interesting than anyone had predicted.

End of Chapter 12.