My hopes for 2020
Hi!
It is the last post of the year, marking two years of writing this newsletter! Thank you for reading and letting me have that bit of space in your inbox. I realise this is more than simply an expression of ideas, but also maintaining a connection with the people in my life.
2019 is the year I became a parent, the biggest life change I have ever had. It has been a struggle for me to adapt to this change. I have had to examine myself closely and define what is important to me, so that I can progress in those things, and cut out those that are not important.
The year ahead for me
In the next year, I plan to work on strengthening my focus and productivity, and achieve much more with limited time. Placing parenting as a priority requires that other interests fall behind, but parenting is also not an excuse for failing to get anything done at all. I see many successful people who have managed to do it without compromising on their family, and with less support and resources. Hopefully I find some new tactics that I can share here on this.
What I hope to see in 2020
I entered adulthood in this decade. I lived abroad on exchange, graduated, got called to the bar and started work, got married, and now have Joy. All this happened in a background of rapid digital and tech growth, where daily life seemed to change every year. It has been an exciting, but towards the end of the decade, some of the issues around this mode of tech growth have begun to appear. I do not profess to know enough of the world to state where I think all of it should go, but in the small part of it which I experience, I hope to see these trends develop further:
A growing awareness of the consequences of our consumption
'The act of giving and the chance of life on a finite planet', describes the difference in mindset and practice of traditional whale hunters, and modern whaling in the name of both communism and capitalism using powerful whaling craft to feed a growing demand. The article contrasts how whales seem to give their lives to the traditional Yupik hunters, who make use of the whole whale, against the slaughterhouse nature of modern practices. Modern consumption is fast and efficient, and scarred many of the hunters, while the consumers back home were shielded from its impact. I hope we become even more aware that all the conveniences we enjoy have a cost, and to constantly question if we can try and reduce these costs. As demonstrated by the recent saga at Away it may not always be animals or the environment which we harm, but at times other people.
Change of focus from Unicorns to Zebras
Life has gotten much better with all the exciting new services and technologies. Much of this is possible because of the Unicorn culture, burning money in the hopes of building the next tech giant. The woes of WeWork and Uber have started to shatter this illusion. These new services are to some degree artificial, with their prices heavily subsidised in the war for growth. At some point, either prices will increase, or some other consequences will arise (see earlier point). This article from the Atlantic - 'The Millenial Urban Lifestyle is about to get more expensive' has a nice description of this.
I hope the spotlight can shift back to companies which are smaller, yet effective and sustainable. It is not always about being part of the next biggest thing. Slow but stable progress is also acceptable, and might even have more positive impact. I found out that this had been described before in the concept of a Zebra, in contrast to a Unicorn.
Millenials shaping culture positively
This is the decade in which many millenials will be filling positions of influence and leadership. Us millenials are in an interesting position of having matured at the same time as this tech expansion. We were closest in the transition into this new connected world. Often the older generation - currently in positions of power and having suddenly come into these new technologies, or the younger generation - who have never known life without connectivity, may not be aware of the costs of an over-usage of technology. Millenials are now in the best placed to realise that technology has a price and must be used in a balanced way, and we can apply this in shaping how we interact with technology, the workplace, and each other.
What are your plans in the coming year? Do share your resolutions, or what you hope to see happen in your life!
I look forward to continue hearing from all of you in 2020.
Happy new year!
James
About Ideothetic Flow
Ideothetic Flow is a small passion project following my own thoughts about living life better. Every 2 weeks I share something I find interesting, usually related to mental models which challenge common expectations or ideas.