Futurist Jim Carroll

Daily Inspiration; "Be a perpetual skills architect!" - Futurist Jim Carroll

Just do stuff.

Learn by doing.

Chase experience.

Do it again.

And again.

That's been my theory for many years, and that idea will continue to carry me into 2025.

That's how you move forward in today's fast-moving world.

Think about it - with fast science, accelerating knowledge, technological change, evolving skills - there's no time to study, precious little time for formal learning, and fleeting moments to solidify knowledge before it goes out of date. Go out, chase the knowledge, learn it, use it, and move to the next set of knowledge. Do it over again.
In that way, you become a perpetual skills architect.

Remember that phrase.

Here's what you need to know about navigating this transformative shift - we're living in what I call the "7x7x7 world" – in many industries, 7 months from now, 7% of what you know will be obsolete, and in just 7 years, the entire landscape of your field could be unrecognizable.

What's your plan?

You can't outlearn this pace through traditional methods. The only viable strategy? Immerse yourself in experiential knowledge. Learning by doing.

This means you need to master rapid knowledge acquisition. This relates to a fascinating pattern I'm seeing in some of my clients who have mastered the art of high-velocity learning - they're creating what I call "experience sprints." These are focused, intense periods of hands-on learning.

Does some new problem, opportunity, challenge, or disruption emerge? Form a team, learn about the issue, take it on, build some experience around it, and tackle it before the next issue comes up. Do it again, and again. Think of it as the agile methodology applied to personal development - your learning cycles need to match the speed of change.
#Skills #Experience #Learning #Knowledge #Velocity #Future #Adaptation #Growth #Innovation #Action

https://jimcarroll.com/2024/12/daily-inspiration-25-things-for-2025-6-be-a-perpetual-skills-architect/

Daily Inspiration: *"It’s no longer what you know - it’s that you know where to look!" *- Futurist Jim Carroll

*Futurist Jim Carroll is writing a series, "25 Things I've Learned That Will Carry Me Into 2025." He is putting this together based on his 30-year career as a futurist, trends, and innovation expert, advising leaders of some of the world's most prestigious organizations on how to align to a faster future. He intends for the series to provide valuable guidance to others eager to learn how to move through a year that promises to be volatile, unpredictable, and full of uncertainty. Each day, the post will go out on multiple mailing lists, social media networks, and to the Website ****https://2025inspiration.jimcarroll.com***

One of the biggest problems with the information age is that there is too much information!

I was reminded of this reality just the other day while preparing my lists of topics for this series when I came across this social media post by a fellow who goes by the social media name MikeInTheFront. He's a pilot of an Airbus A220 with Air Canada and often posts a mix of information about both his professional life as well as hobbies.

The first part of his post noted his new responsibility with the airline:

*"Becoming a training captain in the new year and my motivation to read my manuals has increased dramatically for fear of being outgunned with knowledge. Time to hit the books"*

But it was the second comment that hit the nail on the head in terms of today's knowledge reality:

*Disclaimer: you’ll never know everything. But having good base knowledge or knowing where to find the information you need is a good start.*

And that right there is one of the most important skills you need in the fast-moving world - increasingly, it's not just what you know, but increasingly, your ability to find what you don't know.

*Having a good base knowledge of where to find the information you need is sometimes all you need.*

#Information #Knowledge #Research #Skills #Search #Navigation #Intelligence #Data #Success #Learning

https://jimcarroll.com/2024/12/daily-inspiration-25-things-for-2025-7-its-no-longer-what-you-know-its-that-you-know-where-to-look/

Daily Inspiration: “Build better sapiential circles”– Futurist Jim Carroll

Here’s something that’s massively transformative that we might not often think about because we are so immersed in the trend – for the last thirty years, with the Internet, we’ve seen a revolution in how knowledge moves and grows! It’s not just the explosion of new information that is occurring though – it’s about how much of it is now discovered, generated, and shared within specialized online knowledge communities.

This is all the power to be found in what I call ‘sapiential circles.‘ It’s a trend that has been rapidly reshaping every industry we know, and I’m seeing it happen faster in real time across the globe.

Sapiential circles? I first wrote about the idea in my 2004 book What I Learned from Frogs in Texas, where I outlined the power of collective intelligence. I based that work on work I was doing as far back as 1987 when I was encouraging the professional services firm I worked for to build online, internal collaborative knowledge networks. I called the project Linkage – perhaps a nod to the forthcoming idea of LinkedIn.

The phrase ‘sapiential circle‘ itself comes from Warren Bennis, a distinguished professor at Southern California’s Marshall School of Business — he was referring to how the knowledge of a group tends to increase exponentially as new members are added to the group.

All of this relates to a core idea I often share – if I have an idea and you have an idea, we have two ideas.

If we share those ideas, we have a movement!

In today’s world, innovation isn’t just about what you know – it’s about how quickly you can tap into what everyone knows.

Imprint that idea in your mind as to what you need to do in 2025.

#Collaboration #Knowledge #Innovation #Networks #Community #Intelligence #Connection #Sharing #Global #Future

https://jimcarroll.com/2024/12/daily-inspiration-25-things-for-2025-8-build-better-sapiential-circles/

Daily Inspiration: "Find your niche. Be the specialist that others seek" - Futurist Jim Carroll

When I went out on my own back in 1989, I never presumed that the potential market for my unique way of thinking would be the small geographic radius around me.

I presumed it was the world.

Let me take you back to 1987 - I'm reading the New York Times, and BAM! There it is: "Tomorrow's Company Won't Have Walls." It's a prediction about the organization of the future, and it captured my imagination, arguing that specialized, niche knowledge was the way of tomorrow. Looking back, it was a concise overview of today's modern organization - one that is based on access to specialized niche knowledge, wherever it might be.

The predictive power of this article still resonates with me today. Fast forward through decades of disruption, and that prediction wasn't just right - it was revolutionary!

Think about it: In a world where organizations are fluid, virtual, and borderless, your expertise can be global, and demand-oriented in reality.  We are now living in what might be called the 'expertise economy' - one that involves absolutely massive hyper-specialization. With knowledge exploding, no one can ever know everything there is to know, and so there are only a few people who know the increasingly narrow niches of knowledge that others need to know.

That's your niche.
Be one of those individuals, and your market is the world.

The fact is, the future is screaming at us, and here's what it's saying: "The era of the generalist is over." In this era of exponential change, the real winners are those who drill deep into their unique expertise zones and own them. In this world that involves a tsunami of information, who rises to the top? The specialists. The niche experts.

The focused innovators who know exactly where their genius lies and aren't afraid to double down on it.

#Specialization #Niche #Expertise #Future #Innovation #Global #Transformation #Focus #Disruption #Leadership

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2024/12/daily-inspiration-25-things-for-2025-9-find-your-niche-be-the-specialist-that-others-seek/

Daily Inspiration: "Always remember that procrastination is just slow-motion failure. - Futurist Jim Carroll

Be action-oriented.

Do things.

Do them now.

Don't wait.

These are the lessons I learned along the way, and as things get even faster every moment, they are more important than ever before. The fact is, in a world where change accelerates exponentially, your biggest risk isn't failure - it's hesitation.

Why do you think I have books with the titles The Future Belongs to Those Who are Fast; Ready, Set Done; and Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast? I haven't gone with those titles simply because I think it's a cool framework - it comes from what I have seen as the key issue for my global clients for the last 30 years. People and organizations are overwhelmed with speed, bewildered by accelerating change, and sometimes, withering with fear at the velocity of tomorrow.

And they've brought me in to talk to them about moving fast.

Here's what you should do: a 15-point plan for action.

Act before you're ready
Scale before you're comfortable
Lead before you're certain
Innovate before it's necessary
Change before you're forced to
Decide before you're paralyzed
Experiment before you are perfect
Challenge yourself before you're challenged
Embrace your failure before you try to avoid risk
Commit before you hesitate
Think before you're told
Dare before you doubt
Imagine before you dismiss
Ask before you assume
Trust your instincts before you second-guess

The future doesn't wait for your comfort, your certainty, or your careful planning. The only sustainable advantage at this moment in time is your ability to change faster than your competition, to learn faster than others do, and to act decisively in the face of uncertainty.

Remember: In a world where the only constant is exponential change, the biggest risk isn't acting on what you don't know - it's waiting until you do know.

Procrastination is just slow-motion failure hidden in a brilliant disguise.

By then, it's too late.

Your future starts now.

Are you ready to get going?

#Action #Speed #Urgency #Future #Change #Innovation #Momentum #Growth #Velocity #courage

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2024/12/daily-inspiration-25-things-for-2025-10-always-remember-that-procrastination-is-just-slow-motion-failure/

Daily Inspiration: "Always remember that the future is not just a destination, it's a navigational beacon!" - Futurist Jim Carroll

I learned long ago that the future just isn't a place we go - it's a direction we should always be focused on! It's not a place that we arrive at - it's a series of events that we strive to achieve to get to the opportunities it presents. It's not just a place that we arrive at and spend our time - it's an elusive target that is always out there, begging us to participate in what it offers.

That's why you need to stop thinking about the future as just a destination - you need to think about it as a direction to take! It's a lighthouse beacon screaming out to you from the fog, providing you desperately needed insight on where you need to go to avoid the hazards of disruption, the challenges of the fast currents of relentless changes, and the relentless swells of ongoing volatility that it tosses your way.

Follow the guidance it is offering you.

By cultivating a directional mindset - one of action, not stagnation - you become more than just a passive passenger on the journey to the future. You become an active participant, a navigator, and a creator, shaping your destiny before others shape it for you.

#Future #Direction #Innovation #Change #Leadership #Mindset #Opportunity #Disruption #Transformation #Vision

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2024/12/daily-inspiration-25-things-for-2025-always-remember-that-the-future-is-not-just-a-destination-its-a-navigational-beacon/

Daily Inspiration: "Align to reality. Ignore the hype!" - Futurist Jim Carroll

When does the future happen?

The best answer I can give you is this: It won't happen as quickly as you think and yet is unfolding extremely fast, and even so, might also happen suddenly, all at once.

Makes sense?

I know I've shared the issue of hype here before, but it is such an important issue that I had to put it on my list of things I will think about as I go into 2025. You should too. Understanding particular trends not only the trends themselves, but very much the timing of those trends. If we can better understand that timing, we can better understand the future.

Let's think about that in the context of the topic-du-jour, artificial intelligence.

Has it run its course? Is it real? Is it hype? How do we judge its reality?

That's a good question, and in a short answer, both yes and no and maybe.

One of the most important tools I use on stage when helping folks understand tomorrow is the Gartner Hype Cycle. For many years, it was released by a research firm as a way to guide people through the inevitable path that any particular trend follows.

Every single trend since the beginning of time goes through the curve. The trend appears - the Innovation Triggerwhich sets it free. Eventually, everyone gets overly excited about the trend, and the hype becomes intense as we hit the Peak of Inflated Expectations. Eventually, though, people see through the hype, and realize it will take a lot of effort to see any real benefit from the trend - and so we hit the Trough of Disillusionment. We then take some time to learn about it, experiment with it, and go through the Slope of Enlightenment.

.
AI? Some of the promises and perils are certainly overstated ("Everyone is going to lose their job to an AI!"), and in my view and others, we are clearly at the Peak of Inflated Expectations with AI from a general perspective. T

That doesn't mean it's not real. It means you need to understand how the future unfolds.

Read the whole post.

**#AI** **#Hype** **#Future** **#Innovation** **#Reality** **#Trends** **#Evolution** **#Technology** **#Transformation** **#Timing**

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2024/12/daily-inspiration-25-things-for-2025-12-align-to-reality-ignore-the-hype/

Daily Inspiration: "Fail on your own terms!" - Futurist Jim Carroll

Fail forward!

I don't know how many times I've been told that my plans were doomed to fail!

When I first made the massive career transition in the 80s to becoming someone focused on emerging technology and connectivity - what would later become the Internet - I was told I would fail. That didn't happen, because I was aligned to play a big role in one of the most significant technological developments of our time. When I set out to write my first Internet-related book in 1993, I was told it would fail because no one would buy it! It went on to become a national #1 bestseller and led to a career in which I was involved with 34 books that sold well over a million copies. When I decided, as a Canadian, to focus on the US for my speaking activities, I was told I would fail - and went on to be represented as I am to this day by the major speaker bureaus within the industry.

If one of my phrases is that 'the future belongs to those who are fast,' the other might be that it belongs to those who fail forward! Those who fail on their terms by deciding to move forward, and ignoring the detractors. In today's hyper-accelerated world of relentless innovation, here's your wake-up call: the only true failure is letting others define your limitations. The future demands audacious thinking, and history shows us that the most transformative innovators weren't afraid to fail spectacularly – they were afraid of not trying at all.

Remember this key point that I've shared before: "Some of your worst days can always become the first days of some of the best days of the rest of your life!"
Live that truth - by failing forward, and failing on your own terms.

#Failure #Persistence #Innovation #Success #Resilience #Growth #Future #Leadership #Courage #Transformation

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2024/12/daily-inspiration-25-things-for-2025-13-fail-on-your-own-terms/

@User47@vmst.io I post this quote every day, but TBH, spending more time over on Bluesky.

Daily Inspiration: "In the absence of clarity, choose ambition" - Futurist Jim Carroll

Here's what I know about 2025 - it's going to be volatile, disruptive, and transformative. What I don't know could fill volumes.

And that's exactly the point.

I've spent decades advising global organizations and Fortune 500 companies on navigating uncertainty. The single biggest barrier to success I've witnessed isn't technological disruption or market volatility – it's the paralysis that comes from waiting for clarity that will never arrive. You know the phrase I use - 'aggressive indecision' is often the biggest problem that people and organizations face.

Let me be blunt: In 2025, clarity is not an option - indecision is going to be everywhere - and that attitude is going to be all around you.

There's no doubt that there will be a lot of opportunity wth innovation and fast moving trends. Go back to point #2 in this series - 'Follow the science'. 2025 will be all about opportunity - and yet, a lot of people will be frozen into inaction.

You'll have to figure out how to deal with this every single day.

This is where my mantra becomes your lifeline: "In the absence of clarity, choose ambition."

In other words, don't wait to know what's going to happen before moving forward - just make sure you move forward.

"Wait and see" is the new recipe for obsolescence. Your competitors aren't waiting for clarity. Your customers aren't waiting for clarity. The future isn't waiting for clarity.

So here's your challenge for 2025: Embrace the fog of uncertainty and let your ambitious goals you through it. Keep your long term goal in mind even when you can barely see five months ahead.

Because in the end, clarity doesn't create success – ambition does.

The future belongs to those who choose ambition in the absence of clarity.

Will you be one of them?

#Ambition #Clarity #Action #Future #Leadership #Innovation #Success #Uncertainty #Transformation #Growth

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2024/12/daily-inspiration-25-things-for-2025-13-fail-on-your-own-terms/

Daily Inspiration: "Stop doing the things that make you marginal" - Futurist Jim Carroll

One of the most important things we should do every day is to stop doing the things we often do every day - the things that lead us to mediocrity, poor performance or not-so-great results.
We've got to stop being marginal in terms fo what we do, how we think, and how we act.

I started out building a list of the things we should do, the way we should act, and the mindset we should carry through our day.

And then I thought, why not turn it around? Why not emphasize the point I'm trhying to make by providing the ultimate guide of what people do to ensure a spectacular descent into mediocrity. I started building a list, and got to point #10, and began to realize it would take quite a bit of work. So why not let an AI help out? I've fed all 3,500 Daily Inspiration posts to Notebook LLM from Google, and asked it to help me fill out the list.

Essentially, it took 8 years of motivational, inspirational, change oriented guidance and flipped it on its head.

And so here we go - here's your list!

101 Ways to Live a Mediocre Life:

...accept that average is good enough.

...you shouldn’t bother trying to come up with new ideas.

...you should try to make things more complex, rather than simplifying them.

...make excuses.

...believe that your future is hopeless.

(97 more things that will make you pathetic)

What's the takeaway with all this?

The path to mediocrity is paved with comfortable choices and missed opportunities.

Each item on this list represents a small surrender, a tiny compromise that collectively ensures your journey to irrelevance.

The future belongs to those who refuse to make peace with their own limitations.

So, which side of history will you choose to stand on?

#Mediocrity #Growth #Success #Innovation #Change #Excellence #Ambition #Progress #Potential #Mindset

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2024/12/daily-inspiration-25-things-for-2025-15-stop-doing-the-things-that-make-you-marginal/

Daily Inspiration: "Never let anyone dull your shine" - Futurist Jim Carroll

Ignore the critics!

That's something I will continue to do into 2025, and as we barrel into a year that promises to be unlike many others, it's something you should consider too.

Let me share something I've learned about dealing with criticism throughout my career - take in the good criticism, and ignore the other stuff! It's fascinating how good criticism - honest insight that can hide valuable wisdom, even when it doesn't feel that way - can help to move you forward. At the same time, it's stunning how easily it is for us to take in and internalize the hateful, agenda-oriented, anger-driven barbs that you might get along the way - and which cause us real damage.

Always keep in mind that you are always dealing with two types of critics. Some will share harsh feedback that contains insight that can help us grow. At the same time, others will share criticism that should be ignored, because it's agenda-oriented, or is driven by fear, jealousy, or other emotions. The key is learning the art of knowing which is which, and that's the key: you need to be selective about which criticism you take to heart.

Over the years, I've watched too many talented people get derailed by letting others' opinions overshadow their vision, ideas, and beliefs. I also know that I've often taken too much criticism to heart when I shouldn't have - as someone who spends time on a stage as a key part of their work, I've often had to learn the hard way how to take in what matters and ignore the rest!

I've seen too many brilliant ideas never reach their potential because someone listened to the wrong voices.

#Criticism #Growth #Resilience #Success #Confidence #Innovation #Authenticity #Leadership #Strength #Vision

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2024/12/daily-inspiration-25-things-for-2025-16-never-let-anyone-dull-your-shine/

Santa Rocks At Innovation!

In fact, Santa is an innovation superstar.

Here me out - learn why!

I've got a full list - and have checked it twice - and it's over at https://santa.jimcarroll.com

Daily Inspiration: "Reverse your setbacks sooner & find your redemption faster!" - Futurist Jim Carroll

Never let a setback set you back!

It's all about moving forward, not back. Do that faster when things go wrong.

Perseverance. determination, fortitude, persistence, resolve. These are YOUR words. These are the words that define the attitude you need to go in the right direction.

If you are going to be an innovator, someone living into tomorrow rather than yesterday, you know that there are people that will dismiss what it is you invent, the ideas you create, the initiatives you chase. If you are a disruptor, anti-disruptors will battle your disruption. If you imagine great things for the future, you will be surrounded by them who will work to belittle you with their small ideas. If you seek to create yourself a better future, others will seek to destroy it.

If you don't guard against this reality, you won't have what you need to see it through.

"I didn't get it right the first time" should be a goal; "Let me give it another shot" is a part of your story; "I need to try again" is a key part of your vocabulary.

In other words, sometimes getting a redo is a part of the process. If you are seeking to move forward, sometimes failure will get in your way, and you need to be determined to push on through it. Here’s a phrase you have probably heard - “fail early, fail often!” If not, file that one away - I use it a lot on stage.

It’s the same with our personal efforts, whether finding a new job, pursuing a new career, or taking on some new type of challenge. The path for success might not always be an easy one, but it’s a necessary one. The very act of taking each step forward is an ultimate part of that overall success.

After all, nothing great was ever achieved by giving up!

#Resilience #Growth #Transformation #Success #Recovery #Momentum #Persistence #Innovation #Future #Progress

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2024/12/daily-inspiration-25-things-for-2025-17-reverse-your-setbacks-sooner-find-your-redemption-faster/

"Beware the dangerous illusion of invincibility!" - Futurist Jim Carroll

You are invincible - until you're not!

That's probably one of the most important observations I've made in my career, and I continue to see it to this day. I've come to believe that it will probably be one of the most prevalent attitudes going into 2025, particularly with those who are far too giddy with their recent run of success. Here's what I know - invincible often precedes an inevitable fall from grace.

It''s a truth, though, that it's easy for people to assume too much when they've had too much success - that everything is guaranteed, the future is a slam dunk, and that the road forward is an easy one. Nothing could be further from the truth. A feeling of invincibility is usually one of the most forthcoming signs of the emergence of an impending turnaround in fortune. The fact is, success can breed failure.

Over the years, I've had numerous observations in my posts about the danger of believing you are invincible. "Invincibility is a myth". "Invincibility? It's a gateway drug to potential failure!". "A belief that your success is guaranteed, that you are immune to disruption, and that what worked for you in the past will continue working for you in the future : these FICTIONS are HARMFUL!"

And my favourite: "The only answer to your belief that you are invincible? LOL!"

Remember: the moment you think you're invincible is the moment you become most vulnerable. Keep your guard up, stay humble, and never stop preparing for tomorrow's challenges.

After all, in a world of constant change, the only real security comes from accepting our inherent vulnerability.

What steps will you take into 2025 to challenge your own sense of invincibility?

----

Futurist Jim Carroll was invincible at one moment in time. Then, he was not.

**#Invincibility** **#Humility** **#Success** **#Risk** **#Change** **#Growth** **#Adaptation** **#Leadership** **#Vulnerability** **#Future**

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2024/12/daily-inspiration-25-things-for-2025-18-beware-the-dangerous-illusion-of-invincibility/

"Dare to be different!" - Futurist Jim Carroll

Never be like everyone else. That should be your goal in 2025!

Over the years in my blog posts, I've written extensively about how uniqueness drives innovation and shapes tomorrow. And at this moment, my latest book is in the editing process - we've still got a long way to go. The title keeps flipping around: right now, I’ve settled on “Being Unique: Simple Strategies for Finding Your Creativity, Accelerating Innovation, and Getting to Your Future Faster!”

The entire premise of the book rests on the idea that being different matters. For a time, each of my daily posts was devoted to the idea of uniqueness, and much of that material has made its way into a chapter. The core message remains unchanged: the future belongs to those willing to think and act differently.

Why is that?

- unique people accelerate their path to the future.

- unique individuals avoid the conformity that kills great ideas.

- they know that rebellion is necessary to define tomorrow.

- unique people ARE fast:

- they aren't afraid of being labelled as the "crazy one".

- they don't obsess over the opinions of others.

- they run the other way when everyone is running in one direction.

- they see opportunities others cannot. D

- sometimes they know that their inner oddness is a superpower. In a world of unprecedented change and disruption, a unique perspective isn't just valuable – it's essential. A willingness to challenge norms and think differently are the very tools that help unique people not just survive in the future, but actively shape it.

Being unique isn't just about being different – it's about having the freedom to explore new ideas and chase tomorrow.

What unique perspective will you bring to tomorrow - and into 2025?

---

It took a bit of time for Futurist Jim Carroll to figure out that he wasn’t like everyone else.

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2024/12/daily-inspiration-25-things-for-2025-19-dare-to-be-different/

"Don't be intimidated by the size of your dreams" - Futurist Jim Carroll

Don't think small. And at the same time, don't be intimidated by the possibilities of thinking big. That too should be your goal in 2025!

Throughout my career as a futurist, I've consistently observed one critical factor that separates those who shape the future from those who merely inhabit it: the size of their dreams. They don't live day by day thinking about the small, marginal things they might accomplish - they are focused on the bigger opportunities they might chase. They don't view tomorrow as a time full of a few small opportunities here and there- they the future as something full of massive, wonderful potential opportunities. They don't restrict their thinking to small goals and small plans, but rather, always seem to ask themselves - what big ideas am I not yet thinking about?

Like many, I believe that we live in a time of transformative opportunity, and those who are willing to chase them are those who will thrive.

Here's what I've learned about the future: it's not just about having ambitious goals – it's about expanding your vision of what's possible.

That's why I keep going back to my mantra - my "Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast" principle. If you think about it, it's a framework that acknowledges the audacity of big dreams while providing a practical path to achieving them.

The future belongs to those who dare to dream beyond their current reality. Your dreams should make you uncomfortable – if they don't, they're probably not big enough. After all, in a world of unprecedented change and opportunity, the biggest risk isn't dreaming too big – it's dreaming too small!

That should always be in the back of your mind through 2025.

#Dreams #Ambition #Vision #Future #Growth #Success #Innovation #Goals #Mindset #Potential

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2024/12/daily-inspiration-25-things-for-2025-20-dont-be-intimidated-by-the-size-of-your-dreams/

“Do things that make you better” – Futurist Jim Carroll

Be grateful. Be gracious. Be helpful. Be considerate.

Above all, be kind.

Given the world that surrounds us at this moment in time, I don't believe that 2025 is going to be one that will be memorable for the overall decency of the human condition. Call me out for my momentary pessimism - I have struggled the last few months with my perpetual optimism as events have unfolded around us.

That's why I plan on trying to do the things that will make me better.

I am a big believer that basic human decency is what will make things great again - not the blind pursuit of power, vengeance, grievance, retribution, and hate.

I believe we are better people if we define our success not just by what we do, but also by what we do for others.

I believe it is important that we are a person who nurtures and enhances, rather than diminishes and degrades.

I believe that we should lead with inspiration, not fear, and be a warrior of kindness, not bitterness.

I've always tried to live a life in which I know that my credibility is earned through honesty and squandered through deceit - and will try to double down on those values into 2025.

I'm a big believer in the importance of personal integrity and living true to one's values.

I've always tried to encourage people to promote healing and not hurting- and to be a beacon of optimism and not pessimism.

Into 2025? We should always try to do the right thing for others - and become known for our grounding in compassion and kindness.

We should be the reason someone believes in the goodness of people - and someone who provides others hope, not doubt.

Above all, we know that it is how we treat other people is the thing that truly defines who we are.

---

Futurist Jim Carroll works hard to reinforce the optimism that is at the core of his soul.

**#Kindness** **#Growth** **#Values** **#Compassion** **#Gratitude** **#Integrity** **#Character** **#Humanity** **#Empathy** **#Goodness**

https://jimcarroll.com/2024/12/daily-inspiration-25-things-for-2025-21-do-things-that-make-you-better/

Daily Inspiration: "Embrace the unknown - it's where growth is! - Futurist Jim Carroll

Know what you don't know about tomorrow. Find out what you need to know.  Know it.

That's exactly what you need to do to thrive into 2025. I'd know a little a bit about that - because that's my job.

At every single moment, there is a new opportunity unfolding around you - and so you should see the future as a landscape full of potential opportunities waiting to be discovered and shaped. But the first step is developing the ability to see them. From the work I've done throughout my career, learning how to sift my way through the noise of the signals of tomorrow to find a tone of clarity is critical.

So how can you do this? Study the edges. Look beyong the obvious. Avoid what's hot. And more...read the list in the post!

#Exploration #Growth #Future #Innovation #Opportunity #Trends #Vision #Discovery #Knowledge #Potential

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2024/12/daily-inspiration-25-things-for-2025-22-embrace-the-unknown-its-where-growth-is/

Daily Inspiration: "Remember that passion & speed are the ultimate power combo!" - Futurist Jim Carroll

Move fast and make things!

That's been my motto for quite some time - and I've literally lived this reality in the last 12 days.

Despite it being a wonderfully busy Christmas season with family, friends, skiing and other activities, I've pulled an entire new book together. (I must say, my wonderful wife and business partner isn't too thrilled with my sudden focus on a new project!)

Well, it's not fully together, but I have little doubt that it will be out before the end of January. (Stated reason: My wife, who is much smarter and more experienced in the organizational end of things, is now working hard to manage my impatience and doing the necessary things to make sure it is properly edited, formatted, and ready for print. She know reality way better than me!)

The backstory? Remember post #15 in this series? The one titled "Stop Doing the Things That Make You Marginal." That post had a long list of things that people do that hold them back - a list of things that cause failure. I thought a lot about that post and that list after writing it, and realized - there's a book hiding in that list! The upshot is that in the last 10 days - amid this holiday season - I've pulled together just such a book! Embracing Mediocrity - How to Do Nothing Notable and Accomplish As Little as Possible, takes a fun, satirical look at the ideas in that original post.

You can take a sneak peek at the book on a new Web site I just established - it's at https://mediocrity.jimcarroll.com

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Essentially, I've taken all the years of insight that I've accumulated on inspiration, creativity, trends, disruption and the future - and have turned it upside down. I

Read more.

#Passion #Speed #Innovation #Action #Growth #Momentum #Success #Creativity #Drive #Purpose

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2024/12/daily-inspiration-25-things-for-2025-23-remember-that-passion-speed-are-the-ultimate-power-combo/

Daily Inspiration: 2024 Wrapup post!!!

“Be spectacularly misfocused and gloriously distracted!” – Futurist Jim Carroll

So let me be gloriously distracted for a moment. Here’s my year-end wrap-up list – a series of random thoughts about cool things from the year!

24 Highlights for 2024 by Futurist Jim Carroll

1. Ireland! After literal decades of flying over the country with European and Middle East trips, I finally got to visit the country not once, but twice, both involving keynotes in Dublin. My wife and I had the chance to explore the region – and notably, I had the chance to visit the home of my ancestors, Kilmacthomas in County Waterford. Magical!

2. The YMCA! I keynoted the national conference of this organization in 2015 but finally joined it as a member in early November. For almost two decades, I worked out at a local gym with a trainer, and then the pandemic hit. I built a home gym, but finally found it limited – I needed to get out! I have absolutely zero regrets and am using the time wisely. I’m using a wonderful exercise app as my trainer – Fitbod. Check it out! (This is some pretty impressive data for Christmas week!)

3. A car accident. Not a highlight of the year, but it certainly was a major event. My Tesla got hit and had $24,000 of damage, but I got to use the video the car captured automatically in a talk I did about the potential for AI-based video fraud for an insurance conference! How’s that for lemonade from lemons?

4. Niche Farming! I visited a vanilla bean farm! My wife and I ventured to one on the Big Island. The Hawaiian Vanilla Company spoke to me deeply about ideas involving innovation and reinvention, and so it was a wonderful visit. I thrive on visiting unique places and seeing unique stories, and this was one of the best.

5. Frogs in Texas! In 2004, I spoke at the Woodlands Resort in Dallas at an event – and at the location, the idea for my book, What I Learned from Frogs in Texas: Saving Your Skin with Forward Thinking Innovation was launched. I was booked at the same location again in 2024, and it was magical to be in the exact spot on the road where the idea for the book first emerged. I wrote the story about the visit here.

...read more!

#Creativity #Innovation #Distraction #Growth #Exploration #Success #Curiosity #Serendipity #Discovery #Focus

Original post:https://jimcarroll.com/2024/12/daily-inspiration-25-things-for-2025-24-be-spectacularly-misfocused-and-gloriously-distracted/

Sober New Years #9. The gift of clarity is the gift that keeps on giving.