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"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!
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**#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/
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“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/
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“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/
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“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/
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“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, 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/
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"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/
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"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!
---
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**
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"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!
---
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**
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"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!
---
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**
-
"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!
---
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**
-
"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!
---
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**
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Il tema odierno di un'app di idee per disegni consigliatammi da @Coco_Claudi era "Fresh". Io, da persona poco seria quale sono, ho dato la mia personale interpretazione al tema.
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"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
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"Don't be average. Don’t be boring. Be bold. Be fascinating!" - Futurist Jim Carroll
2025 is almost a wrap.
And that brings me to 279 days of my Daily Inspiration post in 2025, continuing the tradition that began early in August 2016, where each workday involves a bit of fresh new insight.
Since then, I have not missed ONE single workday. Come hell or high water, power failure or jet lag, the post has gone out!
Here's a slideshow of what I wrote in 2025. 279 inspirations! Today marks 280!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJpEdbKByLE
And then it starts all over again tomorrow, on Thursday, January 1, 2026 - with my "10 Great Words for 2026," which itself began in 2006.
If you haven't signed up, join the 1/4 million who get it every day.Do so at subscribe.jimcarroll.com
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There's no doubt that there's a lot of challenge to come in 2026, but there's also a lot of opportunity.Opportunities become even bigger when exponential trends become a reality.
But here's the thing - it's up to you whether you will turn it into an opportunity, or whether the challenge will bury you.
It depends on the choices you make and the actions you take.
But there is a dark side to velocity.
If you choose to let the challenges rule, you'll slide into mediocrity like
everyone else - you'll embrace it.But if you decide to be bold, be daring, you'll escape it - and you'll find it absolutely fascinating!
So what's your choice - are you going to embrace, or escape, the potential for mediocrity that is in front of us with this exponential world?
You need to think about the issue of mediocrity in terms of your personal choice and the company you are involved with. If you decide to do boring things and chase average, you'll be mediocre. If you choose to be bold, you'll find things to be far more fascinating! If you take a mediocre organization and give it average tools and vague objectives, you don't get innovation. You get accelerated incompetence.
I explored this side of the equation in my satire "Embracing Mediocrity"—a guide on how to do the bare minimum—and its antidote, "Escaping Mediocrity." In the past, you could survive being "average" because the market moved slowly. You could hide in the margins.
You should choose to buy the books right now. Be bold! You'll find them to be fascinating!
Visit mediocirity.jimcarrolll.com. Use the code BEBOLD, and you'll get 20% off!
Here's what you need to think about.
Read the full post.
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Futurist Jim Carroll will resume his Daily Inspiration tomorrow with his 10 Great Words for 2026.
**#Mediocrity** **#Bold** **#Fascinating** **#Average** **#Uniqueness** **#Creativity** **#Exponential** **#Leadership** **#Moonshot** **#Excellence**
-
"The moment between having an idea and executing it is gone" - Futurist Jim Carroll
--
Futurist Jim Carroll is writing his end-of-2025 / introduction-to-2026 series, 26 Principles for 2026. You can follow along at 2026.jimcarroll.com. He welcomes your comments.
--Get ready for the reality that the distance between ‘imagination’ and ‘reality’ is collapsing
We are on Day 25. We are one day away from the finish line!
Today, you need to think about speed, velocity, and acceleration.
Yes, I've covered a lot about the issue of speed (Day 1) and scale (Day 16). However, before we conclude this series, it is essential to understand the actual physics, science, and technology behind the phenomena unfolding in our exponential world.
Here's the core issue: for the vast majority of human history, the relationship between your imagination and the realization of what you could achieve was governed by the "friction" of the physical world. It took time to do things. If a civilization wanted to build a cathedral, it measured the project in centuries. If a pharmaceutical company sought to cure a disease, it measured the timeline in decades.
Time was the constant barrier to progress, something that was not easily broken. In that way, you could think of it as a tax levied on progress.,
In 2025, that tax was repealed.We have entered the era of the "Collapse of Time."
The old "operating system" that has governed progress, where step B had to patiently wait for step A to finish before it could move forward, is being overwritten by an exponential new world in which many things happen all at once.
This is not just a theoretical idea - over the last 24 months, we have witnessed the compression of timelines across every sector.
Here's why.
If we look back at what happened over the last two years, with the arrival of AI and the maturing of many other trends, the issue of acceleration is everywhere.
Keep reading!
---
**#Time** **#Instantaneity** **#Velocity** **#Compression** **#Acceleration** **#Speed** **#Execution** **#Imagination** **#Latency** **#Innovation**Futurist Jim Carroll is done with writing books about the issue of speed, because it seems everybody is finally getting it.
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‘Father Mother Sister Brother’ Costume Designer on Jim Jarmusch’s Red Theme and Why Saint Laurent Insisted on Making Everything — Even Tom Waits’ Hoodie
#Variety #Fashion #Features #AdamDriver #CateBlanchett #FatherMotherSisterBrother #JimJarmusch -
"In an era of synthetic perfection, your flaws are now the ultimate watermark of your authenticity." - Futurist Jim Carroll
---
Futurist Jim Carroll is writing his end-of-2025 / introduction-to-2026 series, 26 Principles for 2026. You can follow along at 2026.jimcarroll.com. He welcomes your comments.
---Rather than hiding our mistakes, we should celebrate them!
----
I'm back!
I've put a lot of thought into this series. I know that you likely aren't reading every one - and indeed, if you are like most people, you are simply skimming what's here.
Today, you need to skim this key point - in 2026 and beyond, you need to take the time to secure your most valuable asset: Your humanity.
How do you do that?
Share your flaws. Highlight your failures. Document your mistakes.
Admit you are human!
There's no doubt that with AI moving as fast as it is, we stand on the precipice of a strange new era - we could call it the “Age of Infinite Perfection.” Synthetic media, algorithmic amplification, and automated engagement surround us. Slop, we've called it. And it is quickly leading to what some have called the "dead Internet," a world where a staggering percentage of online traffic and content generation is generated by non-human sources. Generated by AI, indexed by algorithms, and served to you based on what a machine thinks you need to see.
And the problem with a lot of this is that the machines are getting so good that they are getting close to absolute perfection. Have you seen the latest with AI video? Have you looked at an image and had to check yourself to remember that its;' from an AI? Have you been duped by an artist with stunningly powerful music only to discover it's an AI?
I have!
Check out Let Babylon Burn. Listen to this song. I had it on repeat for a month before I realized it wasn't real!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86VjmpHa10A
If you are a brand, a product, a company or an individual, how will you ever manage to stand out among the slop? Or stuff that is so perfect, it fools you into believing it's real?
In this environment, the trust that people have in people, companies, brands, and transactions is dropping to zero. Some call it the 'trust floor.' Not only that, but we are all getting access to the same tools that allow us to generate perfection on demand.
When everyone is perfect, what stands out? Failure! Mistakes! Imperfection!
Flaws.
What's the solution? Embracing the idea of Kintsugi!
----
**#Authenticity** **#Kintsugi** **#Flaws** **#Failure** **#Trust** **#Humanity** **#Imperfection** **#Vulnerability** **#Transparency** **#Perfection**
Futurist Jim Carroll has made a lot of mistakes. He's proud of most of them.
-
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗸𝗮𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗿 𝗝𝗶𝗺 𝗝𝗮𝗿𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝗹 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗶𝘁
De Amerikaanse regisseur Jim Jarmusch wil de Franse nationaliteit verkrijgen. In een interview met radiostation France Inter verklaarde Jarmusch van plan te zijn een aanvraag daartoe in te dienen.
-
"Don't stay in your lane. The future is happening in the blur between the lines." - Futurist Jim Carroll
---
Futurist Jim Carroll is writing his end-of-2025 / introduction-to-2026 series, 26 Principles for 2026. You can follow along at 2026.jimcarroll.com. He welcomes your comments.
---We are on Day 22. You have built the engine (Day 17), fuelled it with an anti-fragile mindset (Day 18), mapped your portfolio of options (Day 19), and opened your eyes to the road ahead (Day 21).
But here is the problem: You are still driving as if the old road signs exist!
This trend is easy to understand but difficult to comprehend.
Here's what's going on. In a linear world, we had "industries." Banks were banks. Car companies built cars. Hospitals treated patients.
Competitors were the people who sold exactly what you sold.
In an exponential world, these definitions are disappearing - because the boundaries that define an industry are disappearing. Why is that? Because the things that defined an industry were some very strict barriers, and a lot of 'friction' was involved to try to do anything. Today, with faster trends, technology, and AI, those barriers are disappearing because 'friction' is being eliminated.
Technology is not just speeding things up; it is melting the walls between sectors. If you define yourself by your "industry," you are already obsolete, because your biggest threat - and your biggest opportunity - is coming from outside of what you define it to be. From a personal career perspective, this has pretty profound implications - because if you are an 'expert' in a certain industry, what happens to you when the industry begins to blur?
The discipline you must master in 2026 and beyond is Boundary Dissolution.
Why are the walls between industries crashing down?
It goes back to the "Tomorrow's Company Won't Have Walls" idea - the new corporate structure allows companies to bend and shape, mold and modify, shift and change. We are moving from firms as closed, industry-defined “things” to firms as cross-sector systems that route data, payments, identity, logistics, and care across different partners at high speed.
To do a lot of these, they are hiring the people who are experts at the career pivot - people who bring a broad range of skills across a vast number of different knowledge areas, who have worked and can work in multiple different industries.
The new leader of the future is Gumby!
He or she doesn't have bones, but they have ambition. And in a rigid world, they bend the rules of every industry to build the future.
Don't take my word for it. Look at what is happening right now among the world's biggest players.
---
**#Boundaries** **#Convergence** **#Blur** **#Industries** **#Orchestration** **#Flexibility** **#Disruption** **#APIs** **#Innovation** **#Exponential**
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Jim Jarmusch: ‘If Too Many People Like a Film I Make, I Feel Like I’ve Done Something Wrong’
#IndieWire #Features #InterviewsCelebrityInterviewsInsiderTakes #FatherMotherSisterBrother #Film #Interviews #JimJarmusch -
"Your new challenge isn't finding the insight - it's filtering out the noise." - Futurist Jim Carroll
---
Futurist Jim Carroll is writing his end-of-2025 / introduction-to-2026 series, 26 Principles for 2026. You can follow along at 2026.jimcarroll.com. He welcomes your comments.
---0It used to be that the problem with the information age was that there was too
much information.That's changed.
The new problem is now that not only is there too much information, but much of it is crap. And pretty soon, most of it is going to be crap.
That means one of the most important skills you need to develop in the information age is how to sift through the noise, to find what really matters.
Finding the gold amidst the crap matters.
Simply put, enhancing your ability to weed out reality from unreality, facts from the unfactual, the gems amidst the wreckage - this is what will move you forward into the future.
All of us are on a unique voyage into this strange new world, and as I often like to say: "We don't know where we are going, but we are making great time!'" In a world of infinite noise, the ultimate competitive advantage is not what you pay attention to. It is what you choose to ignore.
We are on Day 21. You have stripped away the mediocrity (Day 17), embraced the chaos (Day 18), built your options (Day 19), and upgraded your network (Day 20). Now, we must upgrade your eyes.
Now we need to think about Signal Intelligence: aka the art of ignoring in order to see. Success no longer depends on acquiring more information. It depends on ruthlessly filtering noise.
The Great Information Inversion: From Scarcity to Exhaustion
Let's put this challenge into perspective.
For decades, the world of learning and knowledge was simple: Information was scarce, so the strategy was accumulation. In a business context, the leader with the most reports won; the researcher with the deepest research team had the advantage; and the individual who mastered speed-reading had a leg up on everyone.
Then the Internet emerged, and we all began to learn about the strange new world of vast sums of electronic information. We taught ourselves to search. Then, as the volume of information grew, we began to graze. Finally, we began to rapid-scan.
The "new reality" with AI now takes us into a world that is crazier than we think. The global datasphere is experiencing a form of exponential growth that defies human intuition. It isn't just "more data," it is a fundamental change in the density of our digital atmosphere.
This means that the challenge isn't finding insight anymore.
It's filtering the overwhelming flood of synthetic noise to avoid exhaustion.
Learn more.
---
**#Signal** **#Noise** **#Filtering** **#Intelligence** **#Attention** **#Verification** **#Clarity** **#Synthetic** **#Focus** **#Discernment** -
"Your new challenge isn't finding the insight - it's filtering out the noise." - Futurist Jim Carroll
---
Futurist Jim Carroll is writing his end-of-2025 / introduction-to-2026 series, 26 Principles for 2026. You can follow along at 2026.jimcarroll.com. He welcomes your comments.
---0It used to be that the problem with the information age was that there was too
much information.That's changed.
The new problem is now that not only is there too much information, but much of it is crap. And pretty soon, most of it is going to be crap.
That means one of the most important skills you need to develop in the information age is how to sift through the noise, to find what really matters.
Finding the gold amidst the crap matters.
Simply put, enhancing your ability to weed out reality from unreality, facts from the unfactual, the gems amidst the wreckage - this is what will move you forward into the future.
All of us are on a unique voyage into this strange new world, and as I often like to say: "We don't know where we are going, but we are making great time!'" In a world of infinite noise, the ultimate competitive advantage is not what you pay attention to. It is what you choose to ignore.
We are on Day 21. You have stripped away the mediocrity (Day 17), embraced the chaos (Day 18), built your options (Day 19), and upgraded your network (Day 20). Now, we must upgrade your eyes.
Now we need to think about Signal Intelligence: aka the art of ignoring in order to see. Success no longer depends on acquiring more information. It depends on ruthlessly filtering noise.
The Great Information Inversion: From Scarcity to Exhaustion
Let's put this challenge into perspective.
For decades, the world of learning and knowledge was simple: Information was scarce, so the strategy was accumulation. In a business context, the leader with the most reports won; the researcher with the deepest research team had the advantage; and the individual who mastered speed-reading had a leg up on everyone.
Then the Internet emerged, and we all began to learn about the strange new world of vast sums of electronic information. We taught ourselves to search. Then, as the volume of information grew, we began to graze. Finally, we began to rapid-scan.
The "new reality" with AI now takes us into a world that is crazier than we think. The global datasphere is experiencing a form of exponential growth that defies human intuition. It isn't just "more data," it is a fundamental change in the density of our digital atmosphere.
This means that the challenge isn't finding insight anymore.
It's filtering the overwhelming flood of synthetic noise to avoid exhaustion.
Learn more.
---
**#Signal** **#Noise** **#Filtering** **#Intelligence** **#Attention** **#Verification** **#Clarity** **#Synthetic** **#Focus** **#Discernment** -
"Your new challenge isn't finding the insight - it's filtering out the noise." - Futurist Jim Carroll
---
Futurist Jim Carroll is writing his end-of-2025 / introduction-to-2026 series, 26 Principles for 2026. You can follow along at 2026.jimcarroll.com. He welcomes your comments.
---0It used to be that the problem with the information age was that there was too
much information.That's changed.
The new problem is now that not only is there too much information, but much of it is crap. And pretty soon, most of it is going to be crap.
That means one of the most important skills you need to develop in the information age is how to sift through the noise, to find what really matters.
Finding the gold amidst the crap matters.
Simply put, enhancing your ability to weed out reality from unreality, facts from the unfactual, the gems amidst the wreckage - this is what will move you forward into the future.
All of us are on a unique voyage into this strange new world, and as I often like to say: "We don't know where we are going, but we are making great time!'" In a world of infinite noise, the ultimate competitive advantage is not what you pay attention to. It is what you choose to ignore.
We are on Day 21. You have stripped away the mediocrity (Day 17), embraced the chaos (Day 18), built your options (Day 19), and upgraded your network (Day 20). Now, we must upgrade your eyes.
Now we need to think about Signal Intelligence: aka the art of ignoring in order to see. Success no longer depends on acquiring more information. It depends on ruthlessly filtering noise.
The Great Information Inversion: From Scarcity to Exhaustion
Let's put this challenge into perspective.
For decades, the world of learning and knowledge was simple: Information was scarce, so the strategy was accumulation. In a business context, the leader with the most reports won; the researcher with the deepest research team had the advantage; and the individual who mastered speed-reading had a leg up on everyone.
Then the Internet emerged, and we all began to learn about the strange new world of vast sums of electronic information. We taught ourselves to search. Then, as the volume of information grew, we began to graze. Finally, we began to rapid-scan.
The "new reality" with AI now takes us into a world that is crazier than we think. The global datasphere is experiencing a form of exponential growth that defies human intuition. It isn't just "more data," it is a fundamental change in the density of our digital atmosphere.
This means that the challenge isn't finding insight anymore.
It's filtering the overwhelming flood of synthetic noise to avoid exhaustion.
Learn more.
---
**#Signal** **#Noise** **#Filtering** **#Intelligence** **#Attention** **#Verification** **#Clarity** **#Synthetic** **#Focus** **#Discernment** -
"Your new challenge isn't finding the insight - it's filtering out the noise." - Futurist Jim Carroll
---
Futurist Jim Carroll is writing his end-of-2025 / introduction-to-2026 series, 26 Principles for 2026. You can follow along at 2026.jimcarroll.com. He welcomes your comments.
---0It used to be that the problem with the information age was that there was too
much information.That's changed.
The new problem is now that not only is there too much information, but much of it is crap. And pretty soon, most of it is going to be crap.
That means one of the most important skills you need to develop in the information age is how to sift through the noise, to find what really matters.
Finding the gold amidst the crap matters.
Simply put, enhancing your ability to weed out reality from unreality, facts from the unfactual, the gems amidst the wreckage - this is what will move you forward into the future.
All of us are on a unique voyage into this strange new world, and as I often like to say: "We don't know where we are going, but we are making great time!'" In a world of infinite noise, the ultimate competitive advantage is not what you pay attention to. It is what you choose to ignore.
We are on Day 21. You have stripped away the mediocrity (Day 17), embraced the chaos (Day 18), built your options (Day 19), and upgraded your network (Day 20). Now, we must upgrade your eyes.
Now we need to think about Signal Intelligence: aka the art of ignoring in order to see. Success no longer depends on acquiring more information. It depends on ruthlessly filtering noise.
The Great Information Inversion: From Scarcity to Exhaustion
Let's put this challenge into perspective.
For decades, the world of learning and knowledge was simple: Information was scarce, so the strategy was accumulation. In a business context, the leader with the most reports won; the researcher with the deepest research team had the advantage; and the individual who mastered speed-reading had a leg up on everyone.
Then the Internet emerged, and we all began to learn about the strange new world of vast sums of electronic information. We taught ourselves to search. Then, as the volume of information grew, we began to graze. Finally, we began to rapid-scan.
The "new reality" with AI now takes us into a world that is crazier than we think. The global datasphere is experiencing a form of exponential growth that defies human intuition. It isn't just "more data," it is a fundamental change in the density of our digital atmosphere.
This means that the challenge isn't finding insight anymore.
It's filtering the overwhelming flood of synthetic noise to avoid exhaustion.
Learn more.
---
**#Signal** **#Noise** **#Filtering** **#Intelligence** **#Attention** **#Verification** **#Clarity** **#Synthetic** **#Focus** **#Discernment** -
"Your new challenge isn't finding the insight - it's filtering out the noise." - Futurist Jim Carroll
---
Futurist Jim Carroll is writing his end-of-2025 / introduction-to-2026 series, 26 Principles for 2026. You can follow along at 2026.jimcarroll.com. He welcomes your comments.
---0It used to be that the problem with the information age was that there was too
much information.That's changed.
The new problem is now that not only is there too much information, but much of it is crap. And pretty soon, most of it is going to be crap.
That means one of the most important skills you need to develop in the information age is how to sift through the noise, to find what really matters.
Finding the gold amidst the crap matters.
Simply put, enhancing your ability to weed out reality from unreality, facts from the unfactual, the gems amidst the wreckage - this is what will move you forward into the future.
All of us are on a unique voyage into this strange new world, and as I often like to say: "We don't know where we are going, but we are making great time!'" In a world of infinite noise, the ultimate competitive advantage is not what you pay attention to. It is what you choose to ignore.
We are on Day 21. You have stripped away the mediocrity (Day 17), embraced the chaos (Day 18), built your options (Day 19), and upgraded your network (Day 20). Now, we must upgrade your eyes.
Now we need to think about Signal Intelligence: aka the art of ignoring in order to see. Success no longer depends on acquiring more information. It depends on ruthlessly filtering noise.
The Great Information Inversion: From Scarcity to Exhaustion
Let's put this challenge into perspective.
For decades, the world of learning and knowledge was simple: Information was scarce, so the strategy was accumulation. In a business context, the leader with the most reports won; the researcher with the deepest research team had the advantage; and the individual who mastered speed-reading had a leg up on everyone.
Then the Internet emerged, and we all began to learn about the strange new world of vast sums of electronic information. We taught ourselves to search. Then, as the volume of information grew, we began to graze. Finally, we began to rapid-scan.
The "new reality" with AI now takes us into a world that is crazier than we think. The global datasphere is experiencing a form of exponential growth that defies human intuition. It isn't just "more data," it is a fundamental change in the density of our digital atmosphere.
This means that the challenge isn't finding insight anymore.
It's filtering the overwhelming flood of synthetic noise to avoid exhaustion.
Learn more.
---
**#Signal** **#Noise** **#Filtering** **#Intelligence** **#Attention** **#Verification** **#Clarity** **#Synthetic** **#Focus** **#Discernment** -
L’ultimo film di Jarmusch è difficile da lodare ma anche effettivamente da criticare: perfetto per non dare fastidio a nessuno.
Recensione di @Lorexio16
Il film sarà al cinema da domani!#jimjarmusch #film #cinema #fathermothersisterbrother
https://www.nerdevil.it/2025/12/17/father-mother-sister-brother-jarmusch-recensione/
-
L’ultimo film di Jarmusch è difficile da lodare ma anche effettivamente da criticare: perfetto per non dare fastidio a nessuno.
Recensione di @Lorexio16
Il film sarà al cinema da domani!#jimjarmusch #film #cinema #fathermothersisterbrother
https://www.nerdevil.it/2025/12/17/father-mother-sister-brother-jarmusch-recensione/
-
L’ultimo film di Jarmusch è difficile da lodare ma anche effettivamente da criticare: perfetto per non dare fastidio a nessuno.
Recensione di @Lorexio16
Il film sarà al cinema da domani!#jimjarmusch #film #cinema #fathermothersisterbrother
https://www.nerdevil.it/2025/12/17/father-mother-sister-brother-jarmusch-recensione/
-
“If you are the fastest person in the room, you are in the wrong room.” - Futurist Jim Carroll
---
Futurist Jim Carroll is writing his end-of-2025 / introduction-to-2026 series, 26 Principles for 2026. You can follow along at 2026.jimcarroll.com. He welcomes your comments.
---The 1987 editorial "Tomorrow's Company Won't Have Walls" stands as one of the most accurate corporate prophecies of the modern era.
And it had a profound impact on my life.
It's probably fair to say that if I hadn't read it, I wouldn't have stepped out on my own to start my own company, chase my own career, do my own thing - and become a global freelancer, a nomadic worker, a lone wolf, long before the trend became real and the idea fashionable. Like I've said - I haven't had a job for 35 years, and I work really hard to not have to get a job!
It's worth reading, because it predicted with precision the modern organization of today.
Think about where we are now: many organizations don't define themselves by the depth of their staff - they do so by the reach of their skills network.
But in 2026 and beyond, the sophisticated reach of a networked organization is not enough.
It's no longer about the reach of your skills network, but also the speed with which they operate.
If they aren't as fast as you, it will slow you down even further, stunt your progress, and ruin your ability to align with exponential trends.
That's why, in 2026 and beyond, you have to stop letting slow partners kill your speed.
The Issue of Network VelocityWe are on Day 20. We have built your internal engine: You have the Unapologetic Uniqueness (Day 17), an Antifragile Mindset (Day 18), and Optionality Architecture (Day 19).
Do those things, and you are getting ready for our exponential world.
But as they say, "but wait, there's more!" Now, we must look outside.
You can have a Ferrari engine (your mindset), but if you are driving in a convoy of tractors (your partners), you are going to move at the speed of a tractor!
And here's the thing about what this means to the networked organization, and perhaps your role in it as a freelancer: in a linear world, we picked partners based on stability, history, and comfort. We stuck with the vendor we’d used for 20 years because "they know us."
In an exponential world, loyalty to the past is a guarantee for failure. If your supply chain, your technology vendors, or your peer group are evolving linearly while the market accelerates exponentially, they aren't just slowing you down.
They are anchors.
This means that another discipline you must master going forward is Network Velocity.
Learn why.
--
**#Velocity** **#Network** **#Freelance** **#Speed** **#Agility** **#Partners** **#Scale** **#Synchronization** **#Exponential** **#Frictionless**