"Your future self is watching. Build a version of yourself that you would be proud of." - Futurist Jim Carroll
I'll be back with my The Way Forward series on Monday. In the meantime, here's a PDF that covers all 8 industry trends covered so far.
My goal with the series? To help you navigate the chaos - as I write:
Think of this as the user manual for our new operating system-a detailed, actionable roadmap for what key industries must do to navigate the chaos and own their future.
You cannot wait for clarity; you must create it through action by aligning with future trends.
In the meantime, here's some Friday inspiration!
I'm working on a new keynote topic - The Future of Work as a High-Speed Operating System:
How to Stop Planning for the Future and Start Running On It! You can find it over on my signature keynotes page. It's all about how organizations need to start building teams that are aligned to the speed of tomorrow, not the slow pace of yesterday.
While working on it, it got me thinking - if someone had to build a future version of their personal operating system, what would it look like? What would our version 30.0 look like? And what you have to do to get there!
The cool thing about how I'm using AI is that I can go back and quiz myself - I put this question to the thousands of Daily Inspiration posts I've written since 2016, and ti came up with this fantastic list.
25 Things to Do Right Now to Build A Better Future Self.
- Become the architect of your future, not a tenant in your past: actively design the life you want to live, rather than passively accepting the one you have.
- Live in "day 1": approach every day with the energy, curiosity, and boldness of a brand new beginning.
- Choose possibility over problems: in every situation, train your mind to first see the potential and opportunity, not just the obstacles.
- Define your own success: don't just inherit a definition of success. Build your own, based on your values, passions, and purpose.
- Develop an "anti-fragile" mindset: don't just endure challenges—seek them out and use them as opportunities to grow stronger and more resilient.
- Practice "just-in-time" learning: master the art of learning what you need, exactly when you need it, to stay agile and relevant.
- Build "experiential capital": actively seek out new and diverse experiences. Each one is an investment in your future wisdom and adaptability.
- Turn "what if" into "what's next": don't let great ideas die in conversation. Pick one and take a small, concrete step within 24 hours.
- Launch your "version 0.1": stop waiting for perfection. Start now with what you have and iterate. Progress is more valuable than a perfect plan that never launches.
- Reverse a "tin can" belief: identify one thing you believe you "can't" do, and then go out and prove yourself gloriously wrong.
- Learn to "dance in the rain": instead of waiting for storms to pass, learn to find joy, opportunity, and strength in moments of volatility and uncertainty.
- Grow from your disappointments, don't hide from them: treat every setback as a lesson, not a loss. Your future self will be proud of your ability to turn pain into progress.
- Practice decisive optimism: acknowledge the challenges, but always choose to focus your energy on the path forward and the belief in a better outcome.
- Build your integrity ledger: in every decision, big or small, make the choice that your future self would look back on with respect and admiration.
- Master the art of the "intelligent failure": don't just fail - fail forward. Extract the maximum amount of learning from every misstep.
- Become a "cross-disciplinary specialist": find the intersections between different fields of knowledge. That's where the most exciting innovations and opportunities are born.
- Weaponize your curiosity: don't just be curious—use it as a tool. Turn every question into a quest for knowledge and a deeper understanding of the world.
- Conduct a "personal skills audit" every quarter: ask yourself: What skills are newly relevant? What skills are becoming obsolete? What's the next skill I need to acquire?
- Master the skill of asking the right questions: in an age of instant answers, the real advantage comes from knowing how to ask the questions that unlock new possibilities.
- Learn to "vibe code" your life: you don't have to be an expert in everything. Learn how to partner with new tools (like AI) to augment your own skills and create what you couldn't build alone.
- Find the visionaries, not the skeptics: surround yourself with people who elevate your thinking, challenge your assumptions, and inspire you to be bolder.
- Build a "knowledge farm": don't just consume information—actively cultivate, connect, and share ideas with your network to foster collaborative growth.
- Practice reverse mentorship: intentionally seek out and learn from those who are younger or have different life experiences than you. Their perspectives are invaluable.
- Be the person who asks "why not?" and then follows up with "why not now?": challenge the status quo, and then create the urgency to act.
- Architect what isn't: don't just be a consumer of the world—be a creator. Leave a legacy of things you've built, ideas you've championed, and positive change you've made.
That's a pretty good starting point to build yourself a better future self!
Futurist Jim Carroll has written 2,340 Daily Inspiration posts in his series so far, all of which can be found via https://inspiration.jimcarroll.com