Isn’t it worthy of thought that with just a chime on the clock at 12 midnight, majority of the world is already in 2020, an entirely new decade?!
Just a few months ago the internet went viral with a challenge #2009vs2019 and you could see people showing the world how much they had changed or improved physically, academically and career-wise. The bet is in the next 10 years there would be another comparison. The question is would you be proud of what you would have accomplished 10 years from now? Well, the past 10 years is an indication.
In this next decade, it has been predicted that businesses and their leaders will rise or fall based on their ability to anticipate and creatively respond to rapid change. So, how exactly does one “anticipate and creatively respond” to change in an era when things happen so fast? Well, fasten your seat belt.
Create your own early warning system:
You’ll be left way behind if you wait for others to spot trends, or to recognize threats and opportunities for you. This is when you have to better at looking, thinking and acting ahead of the curve using the tools of technology, strategic thinking and competitive intelligence.
Think like a futurist:
Futurists visualize “what’s next” and make it happen now. Not tomorrow. Learn all you can, expand your range and become a driving force of change in any sector you represent.
Audit how you get information and which ones you keep:
Read voraciously and widely, and audit your information intake often.This way you move from passively “getting informed” to actively “being informed.”
Study your environment:
If you’re asked to describe objects right in front of your house will you get a pass mark?
Pay greater attention to the external environment. When you walk through the airport, look actively, not passively. Scan the magazine racks for stories you might not realise you need. Eavesdrop on the conversations around you wisely. Dont just trash junk mail, look for what’s new.
Every action you take today shapes your tomorrow:
You must be purposeful in realizing that your individual actions will continue to contribute to how your future will look like. This is why it is important to plan long-term and then take daily steps that will lead you to your desired destination.
Look back in order to see farther:
Here’s how you do it. Read history and biography and talk to people in their 80s and 90s to see into the past more clearly. Looking back makes it easier to look ahead because you have a better sense of what are fads and what are more deep-seated issues.
Identify cycles:
Have you observed that life is in cycles and this can be seen in whether conditions and even in fashion.
It’s best you literally think ahead of the curve in terms of where this cycle should head next then take thoughtful and proactive steps to help yourself, family or organization enjoy the bliss or weather the storm.
Dream big. Think big:
Set your goals and embrace your boldest dreams. It’s free. The men and women and children who are impacting the world today once looked ordinary. Don’t say what can I offer? After all I’m just a student, a refugee, a sit-at-home-mom or a factory worker. Take that dream of yours with an I-can-do-this mindset and get to work.
Time flies really fast. You have another opportunity do not waste another decade. Pick up a paper and a pen and answer this question; “Who do I want to be in 2029?” If you can, please share your answers with us in the comment section.