Curve Benders

Chapter 215 Forces Impacting Your Future

The San Antonio Spurs have won five NBA championships. They have this quote hanging in their locker room that says something to the effect of “Whenever I feel like giving up, I think about the stone cutter who takes his hammer and bangs on the rock 100 times without showing a crack. And then at the 101st blow it splits in two. And I know that it wasn't the 101st that did it, but all the 100 that came before.”

– James Clear, Atomic Habits

Uncertainties make our lives more complicated. The world is more connected now than ever before. This global interconnection will force us to focus on its dynamic growth. We will need to be deliberate and proactive with how we're going to evolve within it. In this chapter, I'll simplify 15 forces I believe will dramatically impact the ways we work, live, play, and give in the next two decades (Figure 2.1). Think of these as faint signals and harbingers of change.

For each force, you need to evaluate yourself in terms of your comprehension and the degree to which the force will affect your particular situation. At the end of this chapter is a table that will help you determine the forces most relevant to your growth journey. More importantly, I'll challenge you to explore Curve Bender–centric actions you can take. Your existing relationships may be able to raise your thinking and perspective in each of these topics, as well as potentially introduce you to other subject-matter experts in their ecosystems. ...