Futurist Jim Carroll

"Ten Great Words for 2026: Gratitude. Respect. Serenity. Authenticity. Connection. Trust. Patience. Adaptability. Positivity. Hope!" - Futurist Jim Carroll

Each year, since 2006, I have started the year with my 10 Great Words list.

The original list became a part of my closing stage routine and is still shared widely by folks when they discover it. It's over at 10greatwords.jimcarroll.com.

It's a set of ideas that define my thinking, attitudes, approach to life, and what I intend to carry as the core mindset as I approach each new year.

My list this year has been defined and influenced by two major events in my life - the arrival of my first grandchild, Mason James, which has truly been transformative, and a spinal injury that has, for lack of a better word, forever changed my relationship with gravity!

My grandchild! I can't begin to describe how this singular event can cause you to think of your world in a new and different way! My wife and I are overwhelmed with the sheer joy, exuberance, and emotional roller coaster that is the experience. It is truly life-changing - in ways that I don't even yet know I can describe. 2026 should be wonderful! All I need at this moment in my life is his sweet smile, and my heart is full.

The second was the awful fall on ice in late November as I walked down some hard granite steps at our ski chalet. I've been sidelined from the ski season for the year, an activity that has defined my winter for the last 25 years. It's a spinal injury, and I rest daily in knowing that I am lucky; it could have been so much worse. A life event like this certainly gets you thinking! Did you know it's 78 days till spring, 95 days till my tee time at the Old Course in St. Andrews, and 103 days till my pool opens?

Not that I'm waiting for winter to end or anything!

Life events like these define your character, shape your thinking, and certainly outline your approach to your day.

They've also shaped the choice of the words I'm going to carry with me into 2026.

Here's why they matter.

(Read the full post)
Happy New Year!

#Gratitude #Respect #Serenity #Authenticity. #Connection #Trust #Patience #Adaptability #Positivity #Hope

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/10-great-words-for-2026-gratitude-respect-serenity-authenticity-connection-trust-patience-adaptability-positivity-hope/

"At any given moment, you are standing on the edge of massive opportunity!" - Futurist Jim Carroll

I just finished writing a massive series about exponential trends and opportunities in 2026 and beyond.

As I was writing it, I couldn't help but think that the series had opportunity written all over it!

And then I began thinking that many folks won't see those opportunities because they are too focused on the barriers that get in the way.

After that, I began thinking that it's also true that some people won't be able to achieve those opportunities because some unwanted barriers get in the way.

And that led me to the idea that for some, life is a series of opportunities interrupted by momentary setbacks!

And then I realized that many of my daily posts lately have become far too long, and so I need to shorten the message!

So I'll leave today's post at that! 

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Futurist Jim Carroll thinks it's better to focus on the opportunities in front of you rather than the barriers that get in the way.

**#Opportunity** **#Barriers** **#Setbacks** **#Exponential** **#Mindset** **#Perspective** **#Momentum** **#Focus** **#Potential** **#Optimism**

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/decoding-tomorrow-daily-inspiration-at-any-given-moment-you-are-standing-on-the-edge-of-massive-opportunity/

"Real leadership is not bringing others down when you are!" - Futurist Jim Carroll

Let's come back to the 7 Stages of Economic Grief, but this time, in the context of my new relationship with gravity.

Huh?

This morning, after writing this post, I'll be off on my 5km or 6km mall walk with a friend; it's become a routine part of my day. It's not terribly exciting, but hey, I'll take it!

Normally, I'd be doing that walk in the forest behind my home, or on a beach at a resort where I'd be on stage later that day. Or on most weeks and throughout the week during the winter, I'd be the first guy at the chairlift.

But as a result of my late November fall, I'm not walking in the forest, nor am I skiing. As the 3 small bones on my spine heal, I'm not to 'do anything stupid,' - a phrase that just about sums up all the medical advice I've received. (If you are just catching up, I wrote about my fall in my 10 Great Words for 2026 post I wrote a few days ago.)

Which brings me to the 7 stages. I'd often shared the story on stage of how I've seen countless leaders, when faced with uncertainty, chaos, and volatility, would work to get their teams through the stages as quickly as they could. could. Beyond anger, denial, and bargaining - and straight into the 'acceptance' phase.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOcvujuNglI

Often, these very CEOs are in a perilous situation, overseeing a company in the midst of turmoil. Their emotions have been all over the map with their new circumstances - denial, anger, bargaining. And yet, they've decided to go straight to acceptance. In doing so, they've decided to keep their team focused on opportunity, not threat. The upside, not the downside. The longer-term reality, not the short-term pain. Positivity, not negativity. The future, not the past.

And so while they might be torn apart inside, knowing what the volatility or uncertainty is going to do to their business, they've decided not to bring their teams down with their own emotions.

They work hard to keep a positive note.

And so here I am! Learning from those CEOs and from the very message I've often shared on stage!

When the doctors told me in the ER that I had fractured some bones and that I wouldn't be skiing this year, just days before the hills opened, my first reaction was shock. Then anger. A bit of denial. And, of course, the bargaining - what I call the "what it's.'

But by the next morning, I realized I had to practice the medicine I preach.

Here's what I have learned..... read the fulol post.

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Futurist Jim Carroll fractured 3 transverse processes in a fall on ice on November 27, 2025. The prognosis is full recovery - as long as he doesn't do anything stupid through the next few months.

**#Leadership** **#Acceptance** **#Resilience** **#Positivity** **#Attitude** **#Recovery** **#Grief** **#Strength** **#Mindset** **#Forward**

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/decoding-tomorrow-daily-inspiration-real-leadership-is-not-bringing-others-down-when-you-are/

“Sometimes, the hardest brake to press is the one on your own ambition.” – Futurist Jim Carroll

In the world of leadership and innovation, we are wired for speed.

We obsess over acceleration, growth, and breaking barriers. But I am learning, in a very personal way, that the true test of discipline isn't how fast you can go—it's whether you have the discipline to go slow when every cell in your body screams "faster."

Because this is what you need to do when you have 'minor fractures' of the transverse processes on your spine, as can be seen in my CT scan after my incident in November.

Which means I am currently living with a bit of a physiological paradox.

I'm a guy who, at my age, is in pretty decent physical shape and always VERY active - and now the most important thing I can do is to be intelligently inactive.

Let's start here. I use all the modern tools on my phone to track my fitness and health. And I must admit, I'm in pretty good shape. My resting heart rate averages about 52 beats per minute. That's athlete territory. My heart rate recovery is at the high end of the scale, dropping 38 beats in the first minute after exercise. That's really good! Not only that, but according to Strava, I was in the top 0.4% of all users for hours active last year.

And get this - I lifted a cumulative 884,000 pounds and built a back strong enough to land in the top 20% of all users. Google Gemini tells me that it was probably the fact that the back extensions I do were my **#1** exercise that prevented my fall from being much worse, because I've built up so much muscle back there!

By every metric, my "engine" is primed, tuned, and ready to dominate.

But my "chassis" is currently broken.

Those three small fractures in my L1-L3 vertebrae don't care about my great VO2 Max. They don't care that I lifted a quarter-million pounds with my back muscles last year. They don't care that I spent a whopping 729 workouts last year, a combination of actual fitness routines, walking, and skiing.

They are fragile, healing, and demanding silence.

That means the most important thing I can do at this very moment is not to do much at all.

And for a guy who walks 7k to 15km a day, goes to the gym at least 5 times and week, skis for hours on a day during the winter - this is pretty overwhelming to try to do!
And this is where the leadership lesson hits home.
Keep reading the full post.

---

Futurist Jim Carroll is carefully learning that, in some situations, the future belongs to those who are slow.

**#Restraint** **#Discipline** **#Patience** **#Recovery** **#Leadership** **#Resilience** **#Healing** **#Fitness** **#Wisdom** **#SlowDown** **#SmartChoices** **#Mindset** **#SelfControl** **#Strength** **#Balance** **#Perspective** **#Strategy** **#Health** **#Perseverance** **#Growth** **#Awareness** **#Adaptation** **#Focus** **#Endurance** **#Courage**

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/daily-inspiration-sometimes-the-hardest-brake-to-press-is-the-one-on-your-own-ambition/

"Sometimes, you can’t control your circumstances, but you can control your thoughts!" - Futurist Jim Carroll

Ultimately, the way you approach your circumstances defines how the circumstances turn out!

This is the last post on my situation, but I must say - something like this certainly gives you a chance to think!

I’ve spent a lot of time this week looking at my "backward" stats about my fitness and activities —the 884,000 pounds lifted at the gym during the year, the 112 rounds of golf I carded in 2025, and the top-tier cardio recovery stats I've built up.

It’s easy to look at that data and feel robbed by my current physical limits. But I’ve realized that the most important metric isn't on my Apple Watch. It’s the "Resilience Score" in my head. With all this unique downtime, I’ve learned that true strength isn’t just about what your body can do. It’s about what your mind can do once you begin shifting your thinking.

I'm working so hard every day not to focus on what I can't do today - but what I can do tomorrow if I don't do those things today!

And that's a subtle but significant mindspace shift!

As a futurist, I usually obsess over the "next big thing." But this injury has forced me to realize that you can’t sprint into the future if your chassis is broken. I’ve shifted my control panel from "frustration" to "preparation," by shifting my mindset.

I’m not sitting here waiting for my bones to heal; I am actively moving my mind into where it needs to be for longer terms success. I’m trading the dopamine of a ski run today for the guarantee of a tee time at St. Andrews in April!

The circumstance is a pause; the mindset is a pivot.

So while i can't control the circumstances I find myself in, I can certainly control the thinking around what I can do with them!

I think there is some powerful guidance in that line of thought that we can apply to just about any type of circumstance!

Onwards!

----
**#Resilience** **#Mindset** **#Perspective** **#MentalStrength** **#Positivity** **#Control** **#Patience** **#Recovery** **#Focus** **#Preparation** **#Growth** **#Attitude** **#InnerStrength** **#Pivot** **#Wisdom** **#SelfTalk** **#Healing** **#Determination** **#Optimism** **#MindOverMatter** **#Adaptability** **#Strength** **#Purpose** **#Perseverance** **#Forward**

Futurist Jim Carroll is learning a lot about circumstances through the current circumstances!

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/daily-inspiration-sometimes-you-cant-control-your-circumstances-but-you-can-control-your-thoughts/

"Resilience is rarely a solo endeavor." - Futurist Jim Carroll

Sometimes it involves combining two working parts to build one functioning whole!

Just when I thought I had cornered the market on orthopedic drama in our household, the universe had second thoughts.

It turns out my wife has now torn her Achilles, meaning she is heading into a walking boot or cast just as I’m getting my walking stride back.

We have officially become a two-person logistics puzzle!

In the corporate world, I talk about "agile teams" and "complementary capabilities." Well, I am now living it. I have the legs, but still need to be cautious with the bending or the lifting. She has the upper body strength and the organizational skills, but is on crutches until she gets fitted with the proper walking boot.

Separately, we are both compromised. Together, if we coordinate our movements like a synchronized swimming team, we make one fully functional human being.

How's your 2026 going so far?

The lesson? We often think of resilience as "toughing it out alone." But real resilience—whether in a marriage or a company—is often about the humility to say, "I am the legs, you are the strategy." It’s about auditing your collective assets and realizing that while neither of you is 100%, together you can still move the needle forward.

True partnership is about combining the pieces that still work to build one functioning unit!

It’s going to be a long winter, but at least we know we can't run away from our circumstances. (Cue LOL!)

Onwards!

(Carefully).

----

It is 71 days to spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Not that Jim Carrol is counting or anything.

**#Resilience** **#Partnership** **#Teamwork** **#Together** **#Support** **#Adaptability** **#Humor** **#Marriage** **#Collaboration** **#Strength** **#Unity** **#Perseverance** **#Family** **#Healing** **#Recovery** **#Agility** **#Humility** **#Love** **#Balance** **#Patience** **#Compassion** **#Cooperation** **#Trust** **#Endurance** **#Onwards**

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/daily-inspiration-resilience-is-rarely-a-solo-endeavor/

"Failure will always find a path for success in a feeble mind!" - Futurist Jim Carroll

I have this massive folder of ideas for this Daily Inspiration series; when you've been doing it for nine years, you've always got ideas running through your head!

I was scanning through the folder yesterday, looking for ideas for today, and I came across this one.

I can't remember the context of what I was thinking or encountering when I write it down; it probably had to do with some event I was preparing for, or perhaps an article I came across in my research.

Suffice it to say, when you think about what it says, it's true!

And I must say, maybe it describes what I think about the state of global affairs so far in 2026: we've got small minds chasing big ideas without thinking through the big consequences.

Seems apt!

---

Asked by one client recently for his thoughts on 2026 so far, Jim Carroll simply had one word: weird!

**#Failure** **#Success** **#Mindset** **#Resilience** **#Accountability** **#Consequences** **#Clarity** **#Vision** **#Discipline** **#Perspective**

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/daily-inspiration-failure-will-always-find-a-path-for-success-in-a-feeble-mind/

"Real progress is often invisible, boring, and repetitive. Don't mistake the quiet for regression!" - Futurist Jim Carroll

It's often about the small steps, not the big leaps.

The quiet progress you make, not the noisy success you relish.

The effort you put in daily, not the audacious stretch goal you choose to chase once.

Showing up all the time, not just when it suits you.

Measuring your progress by what really matters - not by what you think matters.

Some people chase success with reckless abandon, thrashing about with wild activity.

Others just show up.

And put in the work.

Success is about patience.

It's often quiet, slow, and deliberate.

Unseen.

But it's there.

---

Futurist Jim Carroll is working on a longer-term timeline these days!

**#Progress** **#Patience** **#Consistency** **#Persistence** **#QuietSuccess** **#SmallSteps** **#ShowUp** **#Discipline** **#Effort** **#Growth** **#Dedication** **#Journey** **#Commitment** **#SlowAndSteady** **#Resilience** **#Focus** **#Determination** **#DailyWork** **#Mindset** **#Trust** **#Process** **#Invisible** **#Deliberate** **#Perseverance** **#Onwards**

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/daily-inspiration-real-progress-is-often-invisible-boring-and-repetitive-dont-mistake-the-quiet-for-regression/

"Refuse to participate in the fear... choose to participate in the future." - Futurist Jim Carroll

I don't know about you, but if you are like me, you probably have a disquieting sense of unease about 2026.

Things aren't so great out there, are they?

It would seem that as insanity settles in, the quiet tragedy that is dementia is screaming out its impact at full throttle. Anyone who has seen a senior in this situation recognizes the signs of decline and knows how it goes. Not well.

The result is that all over the world, people are anxious, disturbed, worried, and fearful.

I was reading a post by Dolly Parton of all people yesterday - she recently arrived on Substack. Aside from being a brilliant musical artist, she's a philanthropist with stunning business insight. This line in her post drew my attention:

"My desire to do a thing is always greater than my fear of it."

That made me think! And then I looked up the essence of the quote, and variations of it show it to be a very common motivational phrase.

That being the case, I turned it around in my mind until I found a version that fits the trying times we find ourselves in today.

Here's the thing: it's an odd time to be thinking about the future when an entire nation seems eager to tear it down.

It's hard to focus on tomorrow when today is simply so weird.

It's tough to align with what's next when what is current is truly terrifying.

And yet, it's one of the most important ways to get through this moment of madness.

May your hope for tomorrow outweigh your fear of where we are right now.

Welcome to 2026.

---
**#Hope** **#Future** **#Courage** **#Fear** **#Resilience** **#Optimism** **#Tomorrow** **#Mindset** **#Strength** **#Perseverance** **#Forward** **#Uncertainty** **#Belief** **#Determination** **#Focus** **#Vision** **#Positivity** **#Change** **#Trust** **#Purpose** **#Overcome** **#Clarity** **#Resolve** **#Possibility** **#Onwards**

If Jim Carroll had to pick one word to describe 2026 so far, it would be 'weird.' Or, terrifying. Take your pick.

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/daily-inspiration-refuse-to-participate-in-the-fear-choose-to-participate-in-the-future/

"When everyone is chasing attention, there is none." - Futurist Jim Carroll

We have officially entered the "Attention Recession."

Spend any time online these days, and it seems like everyone is screaming and no one is listening. There's a lot of noise and not a lot of signal. People shouting into a silence.

The problems are many, but first and foremost, it's clear that the oversupply of supercharged AI content is running up against the biological capacity of human attention. I suspect we have hit what we might call "peak social media," a tipping point where businesses can no longer rely on the quantity of time spent, but must fight for the quality of focus.

The fact is, statistics show no one pays attention to anything anymore! You've already lost interest in this post. One study says Generation Z now averages just 6.5 seconds of attention per post, while pre-teens have dropped to a mere 4.2 seconds. This saturation has triggered a "desperation economy" on professional networks - LinkedIn in particular - where people think social media is a tool that might help them to draw some attention, where there is, in fact, none.

What does work? "Rage bait." If you want to get noticed, you need to be a dick. In 2026, it's evolved from a trolling tactic into a primary growth strategy because algorithms are designed to reward the intensity of anger over the nuance of education.

People are abandoning their attention on social media at the same time that they are finding it harder to use it more.

2026.

Weird.

---

Futurist Jim Carroll appreciates the 4.2 seconds you might have spent skimming this post.

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/daily-inspiration-when-everyone-is-chasing-attention-there-is-none/

"Great concepts collapse slowly, and then, all at once." - Futurist Jim Carroll

Stuart Brand came up with a well-known phrase, "The future happens slowly, and then, all at once."

He uses it to describe how a trend can go on slowly for a time, and then suddenly reach critical mass and go mainstream. Countless trends and bold ideas have followed this truism.

The same concept can apply to just about anything, including the issue of failure.

Folks who believe they've got it all figured out, who are lost in the hubris of their madness, and who are caught up in the toxic fumes of earlier success, can suddenly start making all the big mistakes that doom them to eventual failure.

The result? Slow, deliberate change, followed by fast, dramatic collapse.
It's a rule that has defined history so far.

And it and would seem to imply to the strangeness that is our world in 2026 so far.

---

Futurist Jim Carroll is not a fan of 2026, so far.

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/daily-inspiration-great-concepts-collapse-slowly-and-then-all-at-once/

*"A little more gratitude and a lot less grievance go a long way!"* - Futurist Jim Carroll

I've spent 30 years advising companies to speed up! If you think about it, I preach the gospel of the need for speed!

One of the reasons involves heightened expectations. We live in a fast world - *instant online shopping, instant delivery, instant follow-up, instant updates on our phones*. Instant everything. For years, I've been sharing the idea that every organization needs to align with the new reality of increased expectations - delivering the same instant, high-quality service we get through the fastest retail networks.
But my world in 2026 so far has taught me - through my own spinal injury and my wife's recent Achilles tear- that when systems are under stress, the correct exponential mindset isn't "*more demands,*" it's "*more gratitude.*"

A little more gratitude and a lot less grievance go a long way.

If you’ve read my recent posts, you know that my wife and I have become "frequent flyers" in the healthcare system lately. Between my fall in November and her injury this January, we’ve spent more time in waiting rooms than we ever planned. And sitting there, observing the world around me, I’ve noticed something troubling.

We are living through a "*crisis of decorum.*"

People are demanding instant attention in a system that is not engineered to deliver it at the speed of expectations.
I wrote earlier this year about the *New York Times* article detailing the disappearance of respect. You see it everywhere, but it is most visceral in places like an ER or a specialist's waiting room. People are angry. They are demanding. They treat the intake nurse like a malfunctioning customer service bot. We have "*Uber-ized*" the world around us, convincing ourselves that because we can demand a car or a meal instantly via an app, we should be able to demand complex medical care with the same speed and entitlement.

And that won't happen.

Here is the reality I’ve seen from the other side of the hospital gurney: The system isn’t *"broken*" because the people are lazy. The system is fragile because it is under exponential pressure.

To borrow a metaphor I used for my own recovery: the engine is fast, but the chassis is cracked. The doctors, nurses, and technicians are the engine—they are skilled, working incredibly hard, and running at maximum capacity. But the chassis - the infrastructure, the funding, the sheer volume of patients- is under massive stress because of increasing demand, a shortage of workers, and never-ending funding challenges.
When you are in a system that is flashing red, the worst thing you can do is add more friction.

A little more gratitude and a lot less grievance don't just help the person helping you.

It helps you, too.

---

*Futurist Jim Carroll has not been a big fan of 2026 so far!*

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/decoding-tomorrow-daily-inspiration-a-little-more-gratitude-and-a-lot-less-grievance-goes-a-long-way/

These vehicles are going to be snapped up in a heartbeat in Canada.

My Tesla Model 3 will be 5 years old this summer.

I'll get rid of it in a heartbeat if I can snag a BYD.

New World Order. Great band. New world.

The speed with which they became @CBSPravda is astonishing.

Congrats. You’ve elected madman in full on dementia decline. Next thing he’s gonna launch nukes at Europe. You own this.

"Real strength comes from helping others find their own." - Futurist Jim Carroll

Some thoughts for what is known as "Motivation Monday!"

Often, the best thing you can do to lift others is to lift yourself.

The best way to find some inspiration in your heart is to share some with others.

You'll always discover that the best way to have optimism about tomorrow is to help others find their own.

And when someone is down, you lift them by being ... up!

---

**#Motivation** **#Strength** **#Inspiration** **#Leadership** **#LiftOthers** **#Optimism** **#Support** **#Encouragement** **#Kindness** **#Service** **#Empowerment** **#Positivity** **#Community** **#GiveBack** **#Heart** **#MondayMotivation** **#Purpose** **#Generosity** **#Connection** **#Uplift** **#Hope** **#Compassion** **#Together** **#Growth** **#Onwards**

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/daily-inspiration-real-strength-comes-from-helping-others-find-their-own/

it's becoming pretty clear that the ending is going to be far far worse than anyone can imagine

"Generative engine optimization: SEO was a popularity contest. GEO is an intelligence test." - Futurist Jim Carroll

We are moving from SEO to GEO, and it's happening incredibly fast!

**Maria Franzoni** had a post about that yesterday - just as the very moment I was optimizing my website for the AI got!

GEO? What's that? Rebuilding our websites so they feed the AI machine better, improving our chances of showing up in ChatGPT and other AI search results!

With this, I've turned off the minimal Google Ads I've been running and put in place the code to let "the AI machines" fully into my site.

They noticed right away! Visits began to explode.

All of this got me thinking in terms of spans of time. If 2015 was about Search Engine Optimisation. 2026 is about Generative Engine Optimisation.

How does it work? In simple terms, my site is now configured to do a different thing when an AI 'bot' appears, seeking to index my content.

---

"Are you a search engine?
Yes"
An AI bot?
Yes.
Oh, ok, here's a version of the content for this page, all nicely organized in the format you like so you can ingest it into your AI!"

---

One thing most folks might ask at this point - isn't this my content? Do I want to feed it to AI? Shouldn't I tell them no? For a time, I did. Then, two weeks ago, I confirmed two speaking gigs that came directly to me from ChatGPT.

That woke me up! I decided to move fast.
Here's what I did.

(Keep reading!)

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**#GEO** **#SEO** **#AI** **#FutureOfSearch** **#DigitalStrategy** **#Innovation** **#Marketing** **#Technology** **#ChatGPT** **#Optimization** **#WebStrategy** **#Adaptation** **#ArtificialIntelligence** **#ContentStrategy** **#Disruption** **#Change** **#Evolution** **#Digital** **#Visibility** **#Strategy** **#Transformation** **#Speed** **#Relevance** **#Intelligence** **#Onwards**

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/decoding-tomorrow-daily-inspiration-from-seo-to-geo-generative-engine-optimization-seo-was-a-popularity-contest-geo-is-an-intelligence-test/

"We actively take on the world as it is, not wait around for a world we wish to be." - Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, Davos, January 20, 2026

Canada has had enough of the charade.

That was one of the main messages from Mark Carney in Davos yesterday - and judging by the global commentary online, Canadians and many throughout the rest of the world (ROTW) have had enough. (Meanwhile, if you want to find the small, petty, angry, and vindictive minds among us, just seek out the very few comments online where people mention Brookfield or other such 'code phrases,' and you'll know all you need to know.)

Here are the words he spoke, and this is the mindset people feel.

"The capacity to stop pretending, to name reality, to build our strength at home and to act together.”

It has rapidly become apparent that there are some adults in the room, not just those with the accelerating madness of dementia on full display. Most sane people in the world pray that their sanity rules.

Carney's words were resonant, powerful, and to the point.

---
"Let me be direct: we are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition. Over the past two decades, a series of crises in finance, health, energy, and geopolitics laid bare the risks of extreme global integration. More recently, great powers began using economic integration as weapons. Tariffs as leverage. Financial infrastructure as coercion. Supply chains as vulnerabilities to be exploited. You cannot “live within the lie” of mutual benefit through integration when integration becomes the source of your subordination."

Not only that, but this:

“The old world is not coming back. Canadians know that our old, comfortable assumption that our geography and alliance memberships automatically conferred prosperity and security is no longer valid. This is not naive multilateralism. Nor is it relying on diminished institutions. It is building the coalitions that work, issue by issue, with partners who share enough common ground to act together. Middle powers must act together because if you are not at the table, you are on the menu. We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition. We are engaging broadly, strategically, with open eyes. We actively take on the world as it is, not wait for the world as we wish it to be,” Carney said.

The best line?

"Middle powers must act together because if they are not at the table they are on the menu"

If you haven't seen it, the full video is online.

The fact that it has captured GLOBAL attention says it all.

It's well worth your time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqtDxkuvUdM

After all, there might be some hope after all.

---

Futurist Jim Carroll knows that the global conversation has shifted in the last 24 hours, and that the ROTW has finally lost patience.

**#Leadership** **#Canada** **#Davos** **#Resilience**

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/decoding-tomorrow-daily-inspiration-we-actively-take-on-the-world-as-it-is-not-wait-around-for-a-world-we-wish-to-be/

Spotify playlist.

You're welcome.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0M8aLyaOtdCCDJHOqsM6Nk

"Trust is an asset that can take decades to build but that can be incinerated in moments." - Futurist Jim Carroll

As a species, we seem to have an implicit ability to observe the issue of trust.
And most of us know that a huge amount of 'trust capital' has disappeared in the last 48 hours.

The thing about trust? When it's gone, it's gone.

It takes a considerable amount of time to build up trust.

And when you work to destroy, it's gone faster than you think! The speed can be astonishing. 

Never forget - lost trust always means a lost future!

That's all I've got for today!

---

Futurist Jim Carroll is Canadian.

**#Trust** **#Leadership** **#Integrity** **#Reputation** **#Character** **#Accountability** **#Truth** **#Values** **#Credibility** **#Relationships** **#Ethics** **#Honesty** **#Respect** **#Legacy** **#Wisdom** **#Consequences** **#Reliability** **#Authenticity** **#Loyalty** **#Foundation** **#Broken** **#Loss** **#Future** **#Reflection** **#Onwards**

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/daily-inspiration-trust-is-an-asset-that-can-take-decades-to-build-but-that-can-be-incinerated-in-moments/

"In a world of big change, we are surrounded by some very small minds!" - Futurist Jim Carroll

There are still some people fighting the battles of 2024, the issues of 2022, the world of 2020, the realities of 2018.

It's 2026.

Everything has changed.

What happens in a time of big change is that the small minds refuse to let go of where they were, and find it impossible to go to where the rest of the world is going.

They struggle to comprehend the new order of the world because they are still raging about the old one.

They can't let go of their desire to go back to where they think we should be going, rather than going to where the rest of us are going.

They're a tiresome bunch, aren't they!

---

Futurist Jim Carroll knows that everything has changed in the last week.

**#Change** **#Mindset** **#SmallMinds** **#BigChange** **#Forward** **#Growth** **#Evolution** **#Adaptation** **#Future** **#Progress** **#Vision** **#Perspective** **#Reality** **#LettingGo** **#Transformation** **#Thinking** **#Leadership** **#Innovation** **#Awareness** **#Relevance** **#Moving** **#Clarity** **#Wisdom** **#Tiresome** **#Onwards**

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/daily-inspiration-it-a-world-of-big-change-we-are-surrounded-by-some-very-small-minds/

"Better a known rival than an unpredictable friend." - Futurist Jim Carroll

There's a lot of talk online about what happens when partnerships become unstable.

When one side of a partnership slides over the abyss of rationality, into a mindset of madness.

When what was once reliable becomes volatile, when the predictable becomes uncertain, and the rational, irrational.

And the lesson is that you have to pick your partners carefully.

Strategically.

Wisely.

With caution.

With due diligence.

With both eyes wide open and elbows up.

You'll never move forward if you keep trying to rely on a relationship that has become untenable.

Partnership involves predictable, rational action.

And when that disappears, so should the reliance on the partnership - because it becomes time to form new ones.

Those partnerships might involve choices that, in an old world, might not have made sense but, in a new world, demand attention.

That's simply reality!

----

Futurist Jim Carroll often speaks about the importance of organizations to develop the capability for 'fast partnerships.' He realizes it now applies to nations, too.

**#Partnership** **#Strategy** **#Alliances** **#Trust** **#Reliability** **#Choices** **#Change** **#Wisdom** **#Caution** **#Reality** **#Relationships** **#Stability** **#Leadership** **#Adaptation** **#NewWorld** **#DueDiligence** **#Rationality** **#Forward** **#Decisions** **#Resilience** **#Unpredictable** **#Strategic** **#Eyes** **#Elbows** **#Onwards**

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/daily-inspiration-better-a-known-rival-than-an-unpredictable-friend/

"It's not about what you know. It's about knowing what you need to know!" - Futurist Jim Carroll

I'm down in St. Petersburg, Florida, where I'll speak to a few hundred executives in the manufacturing sector later today, specifically at the 360 Leadership conference for the Business and Industrial Furniture Manufacturers Association.

I thought I escaped the cold. When I head out for my morning walk after finishing this post, it will be but 3C, or 35F. Whoah! Florida!

The topic? The future of manufacturing!

And that's the genesis for today's quote.

I was thinking about what my core message to these folks will be - and realized that one of their biggest issues (and opportunities) is to learn more about all the things that I will cover. Their success won't come from knowing what they know today - it comes from clearly understanding what it is they need to know for tomorrow.

That's the case for everyone, in every profession, every industry, and every career. Our current knowledge no longer provides us a path forward, because it's becoming outdated so quickly. What allows us to move forward is all the new knowledge and insight that is emerging.

In that context, here's what I am telling them about what they need to know.

First and foremost, manufacturing is entering a new era of "Intelligent Manufacturing." In many industries, we are shifting away from traditional mass production toward mass customization. This new manufacturing operating system is built on the convergence of several key trends - the most important being the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), AI and robotics infrastructure, additive manufacturing, and digital twin technology. It allows us to build products not yet conceived using methodologies that are yet to be defined.

Second, they need to embrace the idea of the "product twin." Digital twins are no longer just static 3D models; they are dynamic simulations of products being designed. We are moving toward a world where we can simulate 50,000 hours of a product's lifecycle before we ever physically build it.

Third, this robotic revolution is changing the factory floor. We are moving beyond caged robots to "swarm factories"and the ultimate arrival of humanoid robots that can work alongside humans.

Finally, the product itself is becoming "phygital." We are moving toward bio-responsive furniture and workspaces that adapt to our stress levels, integrated with holographic telepresence, and supported by a circular economy. To get there, you need to empower the rebels, the outliers, and the misfits in your organization to innovate at the edge.

That's a lot of new stuff that these folks need to know! I'm probably going to freak them out a bit! But if I do, they're getting the wrong message - because this stuff isn't optional.

Their world is changing faster than they know, and so they need to know what they need to know to be a part of it.

---

Futurist Jim Carroll has done over 100 keynotes on the future of manufacturing. Details can be found at manufacturing.jimcarroll.com

**#Knowledge** **#Learning** **#Manufacturing** **#Innovation** **#Future** **#AI** **#Robotics** **#DigitalTwin** **#Industry** **#Transformation** **#Technology** **#Leadership** **#Growth** **#IIoT** **#Customization** **#Intelligence** **#Disruption** **#Adaptation** **#Skills** **#Tomorrow** **#Insight** **#Progress** **#Conference** **#Florida** **#Onwards**
****
Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/daily-inspiration-its-not-about-what-you-know-its-about-knowing-what-you-need-to-know/

"The number of excuses you make should never exceed the solutions you find." - Futurist Jim Carroll

Why might your excuses kill your future?

That was a thought that crossed my mind and that I gave a shoutout to while on stage in Florida yesterday. I wanted to get across to the audience that the vast scope of change in the manufacturing world means they need to get involved with tomorrow, today. They can't just put some barriers in place and hope that the future goes away.

With that in mind, are you guilty of the same thing?

Stop for a moment. Look at your last team meeting. Look at your inbox. Look in the mirror.

What’s the ratio of excuses to solutions?

We live in an era of acceleration. I’ve been saying it on stage for years: Fast beats slow. Bold beats old. But you can't be fast if you are weighed down by the heavy anchor of "why we can't." That's one of the key excuses to be found on my innovation killers list.

When on stage, I often talk about "organizational sclerosis." That's the deadly, creeping disease where a company’s arteries get clogged up with process, bureaucracy, and fear - and excuses. It’s what happens when the "Innovation Killers" take over the culture.

You know the phrases. I’ve cataloged them. They are the soundtrack of aggressive indecision:

"The boss won't go for it."
"We don't have the budget right now."
"It's too risky."
"We've always done it this way."

Every single one of those statements is an excuse. Every single on is a surrender to the status quo. Every single one is a decision to let the future happen to you, rather than creating it yourself.

That's why you need to think about whether the excuses you make outweigh the solutions you find. For every excuse that pops into your head (or out of your mouth), you need to force yourself to generate at least one viable solution.

If your excuses outnumber your solutions, you aren't managing risks.

You are manufacturing failure.

You are building yourself a monument to mediocrity.

Flip the script. Don't come with a reason as to why it won't work. Come up with a list of how you are going to make it work despite the reasons it shouldn't.

The future belongs to those who are fast. Excuses are slow. Solutions are speed.

Which one are you choosing today?

----
**#Solutions** **#Excuses** **#Action** **#Leadership** **#Innovation** **#Accountability** **#Mindset** **#Speed** **#Change** **#Manufacturing** **#Future** 

Futurist Jim Carroll shared with his audience yesterday a massive overview of the future of manufacturing - and made them aware that there is no time left for excuses in the context of the speed of those trends.

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/daily-inspiration-the-number-of-excuses-you-make-should-never-exceed-the-solutions-you-find/

"When unimaginable headlines become reality, you've got to come up with once unimaginable strategies!" - Futurist Jim Carroll

If the future gets weird, maybe your strategies need to get weird as well.

Think about it: we are less than thirty days into 2026, and the rulebook hasn't just been rewritten—it’s been incinerated. We are witnessing a compression of history, where decades of change are now crammed into days. The definition of "stability" has evaporated, replaced by a relentless volatility that refuses to pause.

Headlines that were unimaginable a decade ago, let alone a year ago, are now common. 

All of this means that if you are still operating on last year's logic, you aren't just behind; you are watching a different movie entirely. And this one isn't a rom-com, it's a horror show.

In that context, any comfort zone is gone. The headlines proving that "it can't happen here" are being printed daily. In this environment, caution is the most dangerous strategy of all. Thinking fast and moving faster is the only way through the mess.

To survive this year (and beyond), you need to dismantle your assumptions, destroy your complacency, and challenge your belief in stability..

You need to build strategies that feel as radical as the news cycle itself.

This means you have to stop planning for the probable and start preparing for the unimaginable.

Because the unimaginable is now reality.

After all, this week, Greenland, next week?

----

**#Unimaginable** **#Strategy** **#Disruption** **#Change** **#Volatility** **#Bold** **#Future** **#Leadership** **#Radical** **#Adaptation** **#Reality** **#Speed** **#Innovation** **#Uncertainty** **#Chaos** **#Transformation** **#Headlines** **#Thinking** **#Agility** **#Assumptions** **#Courage** **#Weird** **#Survival** **#Challenge** **#Onwards**

Futurist Jim Carroll is not a big fan of 2026 so far!

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/daily-inspiration-when-unimaginable-headlines-become-reality-youve-got-to-come-up-with-once-unimaginable-strategies/

"Every brilliant idiot eventually flies too close to their own sun." - Futurist Jim Carroll

In its most recent earnings call, Tesla essentially announced that it was giving up on the automotive industry.

The facts are pretty raw as sales plummeted with buyers turning away around the world:

Tesla reported its first-ever year-over-year revenue drop, with net income plunging 61% and automotive revenue falling 11%.

The Model S and Model X are being cancelled, leaving only the Model 3,
Model Y, and Cybertruck in production

The Cybertruck itself is a dismal failure, a bright silver MAGA-mobile screaming out its association with the insanity of the owner

Every country in the world saw a decrease in sales of Tesla vehicles because of Musk's involvement with a hated political brand, and none-too-subtle support of Nazi causes

Instead of designing new models, the company is making a massive bet on two-person autonomous vehicles with no steering wheels or brakes

The company plans to sink $20 billion into AI efforts, including a controversial $2 billion investment into Elon Musk’s separate xAI venture that might draw SEC attention

This is what happens when you link a once-powerful brand to a toxic message; a once-revered founder becomes erratic and hateful; and a once innovation-rich organization becomes bled dry of its creative engine.

The response online is interesting, to say the least.

To start, the 'Tesla fan boys, 'as they are known, bought in, despite the negative financial results and cuts, Tesla stock surged $13 per share in after-hours trading. Those who worship at the Altar of Elon are agog with joy as he spells his dreams of selling a million humanoid robots within a year, millions of autonomous robotaxis, and other wild dreams of tomorrow. They've bought into his bold claims that the robots it is pivoting to will do surgeries within 3 years, fold your laundry, take care of senior citizens, and much more.

Grandiose bullshit, to say the least. Many of us have been here before.

But here's what's interesting - you now see a LOT of diehard Musk fans finally throwing in the towel, realizing that it's game over for what was once the world's greatest mass-market automotive wonder.

Reading the chatter, it's evident that many are finally becoming tired of his litany of lies.

Of course, none of this comes as a surprise to those of us who saw through the deceit, the madness, and the lies of Musk years ago.
---

Futurist Jim Carroll took a test drive in a Rivian the other day.

**#Hubris** **#Leadership** **#Tesla** **#Brand** **#Failure** **#Reputation** **#Innovation** **#Decline** **#Arrogance** **#Downfall** **#Toxicity** **#Strategy** **#Warning** **#Business** **#Collapse** **#Trust** **#Consequences** **#Electric** **#Automotive** **#Future** **#Reality** **#Ego** **#Icarus** **#Lessons** **#Onwards**

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2026/01/decoding-tomorrow-daily-inspiration-every-brilliant-idiot-eventually-flies-too-close-to-their-own-sun/

How bad is the film?

You can't even steal it on Pirate Bay.

It's that bad.