In an increasingly complex and ever changing world we are constantly being confronted by new and often scary challenges outside of our control. Naturally, alongside these challenges comes growing fear about the future imbuing thoughts of a grim decline rather than a sense of optimism for what is to come. So how do we make a shift to create a future we want our children to inherit – we believe  it begins with gaining an understanding of how our current generations are feeling about what comes next. Inspired by the Copenhagen Futures Barometer, a Danish survey on concerns and expectations of the future conducted by the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies as a benchmark, we set out to create our own version – the Aotearoa Futures Barometer to gain a sense of how New Zealanders are feeling about the future.