10 Ways to Hitch Your Star to the NEW Future

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Are you worried about the future? Or do you think about it much? Probably not, judging by all you do every day. But, the future creeps up on all us quickly and it might just be, or it might not be, everything you think.

I like the future I’m living in. The one with all of these digital devices we have; our laptops, gaming systems, tablets and most of all, smartphones. When I was in high school, NONE of this was available and our way of “texting” was to pass a note to our friends while passing from one class to another in the hall. If you wanted to call someone, you went home and used the phone that was plugged into the wall.

Some cars had air conditioning, some cars didn’t. The same with homes; some had central AC, some didn’t. Now, everyone has AC everyplace. Our schools didn’t have AC, either. When it was 92 degrees, you sweated through a class along with everyone else. Electric typewriters were all the rage, as were TV dinners. No one had ever heard of a microwave. Cameras were big and clunky and don’t ya know, everyone had an uncle with one of those torchlight contraptions, which blinded you for the next 30 minutes whenever he used it! It was a scream.

Life was what it was back then.

We didn’t bemoan the fact and we didn’t think much about what was coming. (Besides the Russians.) Now, thinking about the future seems much more important to me. Knowing what’s coming is better than not knowing and being surprised by it all.

Let’s take a peek into the future and see how to best prepare for it.

It’s actually more fun and informative than you think! Here are 10 ways to HITCH your star to the new future:

#1. It’s the new millenium!

We are already well into the 2nd decade of the 21st century and if that says anything at all, it should remind you of how quickly time flies! Maybe that’s because of ALL the things we do on a daily basis. It’s fun, actually, to think about colonial times and how hard our ancestors worked all day, washing, baking, cleaning, doing child-care.

I think we work even harder in the 21st century. That’s because we have so many things coming at us, all at one time. I mean, it’s preparing lunches for school, arranging for your kids’ to be picked up, making trips to the library or supermarket, working full-time, (what woman in Colonial times, did that?), keeping doctor appointments, emailing teachers, friends, family, co-workers, attending meetings, doing seminars, traveling, and browsing the Web. Did I mention the other 40,000 things to do? No, I don’t have enough room in this post for it all!

If the new millenium has taught us anything, it is that life is moving along at top speed and we better be up for the challenge. It’s not always easy, but it’s the way it is. The world is changing at lightning-fast rates; countries that never seemed to be on the radar screen are suddenly popping up there and leading the way on many technological fronts.

#2. The future lies in working for yourself.

When I was in high school, I could NEVER have imagined writing blog posts or being a freelance writer online. But, that’s what I do. I LOVE getting online and taking care of whatever it is my editors ask me to write; blog posts, reviews, content for web pages, and so on. That, in turn, led me to create my own blog and write blog posts on topics I love and know much about.

The future is now. One of the BEST ways to find out all about it, is to read a couple of really good books. That’s what I have been doing lately; and you can pick these books up as paperbacks or digitally for little or no money.

One of the books I highly recommend is called The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies. You will see yourself in the New Age of robots, total digitization, artificial and human intelligence, and recommendations for what to do about the coming technological revolution. From driver-less cars to working alongside robots at work, and understanding of the reinvention of our lives, this book will be a REAL eye-opener.

#3. Security is everyone’s first motivator.

Psychologically speaking (and I’m no expert, just someone who reads a lot), if you don’t have that most basic of things, safety and security, you will never have the ability to achieve other things. You need that safety net of a loving family and later on in your life, the security of home and a good job.

What WILL jobs in the future look like? I can tell you right now, don’t set your sights on retail. Retail is slowly going away. There will always be stores, but malls are struggling and many famous retailers are closing shop.

If you are looking for some GOOD jobs in the future, try an App Developer, Computer Systems Analyst, Nurse Practitioner, Physical Therapist, Health Services Manager, Physician’s Assistant, Dental Hygienist, Market Research Analyst, Personal Financial Advisor, Speech Language Pathologist, and Medical Sonographer.

Of course there will always be teachers, police, government, construction, lawyers and doctors. Although many of these specialties (and that’s what they are) not all of them are directly computer related. But ALL of them will require that you know computer processes and programs.

Jobs such as these will surely give you a bright future as you move through your adult years. Did you notice there’s no secretary or clerk-typist there? No data entry or receptionist? These are the low hanging fruit, which spoils very rapidly and usually goes bad just when you need it the most, so steer clear of stuff that is beneath you. In other words, set your sights on bigger things.

#4. Communicate Well.

Gone are the days when honing your handwriting was as important as passing all your courses. If you do anything in high school, take that typing class, which I’m sure they still offer. Of all the classes I ever took in high school, that was the one that has paid off enormously. You can do so much when you know how to spit out words at 80 wpm.

Communication also means knowing computers inside and out, too. Middle school kids all know how to make videos and many are quite good at hacking tricks. You should have an advanced level of knowing how to use email, videos, and all things computer; such as uploading, downloading, installing, tracking, etc.

One of the best ways to learn how to be an effective communicator is by reading. I never thought I would love ebooks as much as I do; after all, there is nothing like sitting with a “real” book and reading. But, ebooks are SO accessible anywhere. If you belong to Amazon Prime or Unlimited, (and I belong to both), you can read as many books as you choose, most for a few dollars and many for FREE!

One of the books I’m reading as I write this post is entitled “The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future“ and it is spot on! The author unpacks 12 forces that are impacting our lives now and will continue to do so with each passing day. Forces such as ‘becoming’, ‘cognifying’, ‘flowing’, ‘screening’, ‘accessing’, ‘sharing’, ‘filtering’, ‘remixing’, ‘interacting’, ‘tracking’, ‘questioning’, and ‘beginning’, all have a GRAND place in our lives.

For instance:

The result is an infinite hall of options. In every direction, countless choices pile up. Despite obsolete occupations like buggy whip maker, the variety of careers to choose from expands. Possible places to vacation, to eat, or even kinds of food all stack up each year. Opportunities to invest explode. Courses to take, things to learn, ways to be entertained explode to astronomical proportions. There is simply not enough time in any lifetime to review the potential of each choice, one by one. It would consume more than a year’s worth of our attention to merely preview all the new things that have been invented or created in the previous 24 hours. (The Inevitable)

This is one of the reasons learning how to communicate effectively is so important. It will strengthen your minds and resolve for the tasks that lie ahead in each day. And there are many of them. Learn to be prepared, as the Boy Scouts always say.

#5. Get your education in the right places.

By that I mean, for many people, college is a waste of time and money. Many will disagree, but hear me out. College doesn’t always hold the key to your future. Not when there are many and diverse programs available for you in other venues. There are 2-year colleges which offer all manner of nursing and health certifications, there are vocational classes which can point you to a very nice career as a plumber or an electrician with your own business.

That is the wave of the future. Working for YOU. Hone your skills, and just like in medieval times, you will have a specialty to offer. Back then is was stone-cutting, masonry, armorer, carpenter, blacksmith, plowman, falconer, and king’s servant. Today the only one of those jobs still lucrative is being a carpenter. No one in 1485 knew about using GPS to find the field known as Bosworth in England. There was no Google to help people try and figure out the Black Death, either.

Today we have many options available to us. Not in just traditional settings. There are many, many, many online alternatives to look over. Once you do, you’ll be amazed at all that is offered! Not everything requires a 4-year degree or even graduate work.

In the new future, there are a few things to know about yourself:

know your talents

know your strengths

learn all you can about them

There are so many wonderful ways to find the elusive truth you’re looking for.

#6. Teach your children HOW to create.

I learned how to knit when in high school. My best friend’s mother would order us yarn from Herrschner’s and we picked up a few how-to books from our local 5 & 10 cent store, (now there’s something that has gone the way of the winds) and we taught ourselves how to knit.

Today, there are online videos, craft stores which offer classes and good ol’ books to show you how to knit. Or crochet, or sew, or paint, color, sculpt, do pottery, make jewelry, make yarn, preserve foods, and other crafts which are too numerous to mention.

Teach your children HOW TO MAKE THINGS. Learning a craft will lead to learning more crafts, which will lead to a VERY fulfilling life. Learning how to create and be creative is what we were all born to do! If you would like to learn all about knitting, START HERE.

Don’t miss the opportunity to teach yourself, your children or grandchildren how to DO something. You will be amazed at what it will lead to!

#7. There is much to learn online.

I’m sure you know that already. But, it’s become even truer today, than even five years ago. And much of what you learn is FREE. Did I mention it’s free?

Of course, you can take college-level courses and rack up credits to gain a degree or certificate, or you can take free, introductory courses which many places offer. They are too numerous to mention here, but a few are Udemy, Thinkific, Hillsdale, and Open Culture. If you google “online learning” or put in your area of interest and “courses”, you’re sure to come up with some very interesting ideas.

Especially when you are thinking about a career, companies today are very impressed with those who have sought online training. It shows you’re proactive and can think independently. For a great read, try “The Industries of the Future“ by Alec Ross. The author has traveled to forty-one countries and sees where jobs will be most prevalent in the future.

Things like robotics and AI (artificial intelligence), cybersecurity, cybercrime, the commercialization of genomics, big data, as well as digital technology and how it will impact money and markets. There’s a lot to see here, and you are sure to come away with some great ideas for your future.

Looking at all of those topics, they DO seem to have a lot to do with being online. So, learn all you can.

#8. Who needs a “global village?”

In this new world we live in, populated by humans and computers, you can do a lot of learning on your own. That speaks to me, because I enjoy being at home a lot. It’s just one more way to the simple life. It’s not necessary anymore, to go running around to this store or that, when you can seek what you can find on your smartphone or laptop.

I’ve never aligned myself with that silly notion that it takes a village to raise your family. No, it takes you and your spouse and a loving extended family to raise your kids. There is nothing I love more than to have both my grand daughters sitting on my lap together while we watch one of their movies. Yes, I could be doing something else, but at that moment, I am doing something. I am with my grand daughters. Loving them in a most special way. Which passes very quickly!

The Internet has brought the world into our worlds. And that’s a good thing! I don’t have to go to Mont Ste. Michel in France personally; I can view it from aerial drones which have recorded the whole thing for me. If I want to see the weather in Honolulu, I can Google Map it. And see it in real time. We really are living in a golden age.

#9. Fill your time with joy and purpose.

Discovering the RIGHT job for you will take some soul searching, but you know what you love best. Everyone has their own interests, passions and loves. I have always been very good at dance, reading, writing and crafts. So why would I want to be an accountant and look at boring numbers all day long? To someone else, those numbers are exciting; to me not so much.

Take a look at what the future holds in store for you. There are many ways to impact your life from this day forward because of how the nature of work can now be done. You can go to an office 5 days a week, you can stop in 1 or 2 days a week, or you can work from home all week long, and never see the inside of anyone’s office, but for your own.

Living the simple life, just got that much easier. With a little preparation, some reading and deciding, you’ll be ready to hitch your star to the NEW future!

#10. You have to WORK for it!

Materialism does seem to be taking over the world. But, is that all you want out of life? A home filled with stuff? A life filled with unfulfilled dreams? Because you don’t have to settle for second best. Not anymore. Even if you want to write that next great American novel; you don’t have to go through publishing houses any longer. You can write it, edit it and publish it (to various venues) YOURSELF!

How great is that! So, do what you want to do. Learn all you can about subjects that interest you, even if you’re caught up in a full-time job that is taking you nowhere fast. You have off times and other times that offer you opportunities to learn. Because there is one thing you MUST do to be successful:

You have to WORK for it. No one will hand you anything. Don’t expect them to. Don’t look for easy ways out or shortcuts. The only person you’ll hurt is you. Do what you need to do and be a part of the NEW future. There never was a better time than today to start!

Our lives are already significantly more complex than even five years ago. We need to pay attention to far more sources in to do our jobs, to learn, to parent, or even to be entertained. The number of factors and possibilities we have to attend to rises each year almost exponentially. Thus our seemingly permanently distracted state and our endless flitting from one thing to another is not a sign of disaster, but it is a necessary adaptation to this current environment. Google is not making us dumber. Rather we need to Web surf to be agile, to remain alert to the next new thing. Our brains were not evolved to deal with zillions. This realm is beyond our natural capabilities, and so we have to rely on our machines to interface with it. We need a real-time system of filters upon filters in order to operate in the explosion of options we have created. . . . . At its heart the modern economy runs on distinction and the power of differences — which can be accentuated by filters and technology.

That is what Kevin Kelly says in The Inevitable. There’s a lot more to be learned there, too. And in a thousand other places, in a thousand other ways, one of which will fit you perfectly.

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Another way to give you

“Homekeeping Inspiration for Knitting Your Best Life!”