Why these records matter
Daily Inspiration captured foresight in time. That makes the archive useful for more than inspiration: it contains dated claims, observations and weak signals that can be compared with what happened later.
This collection recovers likely signal candidates. It is deliberately conservative: inclusion here means the post deserves editorial review as a dated foresight record, not that every sentence should automatically become a formal Prediction or Signal.
Recovered candidates
2022-10-27 — Daily Inspiration: “Milestones are valuable markers of progress made but also reminders of goals yet to be achieved!”
“Milestones are valuable markers of progress made but also reminders of goals yet to be achieved!” - Futurist Jim Carroll A few photos of my online career from the time I signed on in 1982, through the ’90s and ’00s, up to today’s stage work. hey, I still have hair! Yesterday was a big day, and while reminding myself for the last many months that the date was coming up, I almost missed it!
Archive status: approximately 1,882 words; Daily Inspiration only category.
2022-12-30 — Daily Inspiration: “A little bit of inspiration never hurt anyone!”
“A little bit of inspiration never hurt anyone!” - Futurist Jim Carroll Why not start your day with a little bit of inspiration? I do! And in fact, this post today is #264 for the year, one for each and every workday - except for September 8, 2022 - the day Queen Elizabeth died.
Archive status: approximately 1,586 words; Daily Inspiration only category.
2023-01-04 — Daily Inspiration: “You can’t deny denialism!”
“You can’t deny denialism!” - Futurist Jim Carroll Today’s image barely fits into the “Inspiration” theme - my wife REALLY didn’t like the image as I put it together - but that’s the point. We live in perilous, scary times - there are people around you who actually believe the wild conspiracies found in this image below. (And actually, if you go down the rabbit hole of the creator, you will find a store where you can buy a poster of it - and some equally crazy stuff.) The thing is, there’s an economic cost, not to mention big societal implications and business challenges, from collective lunacy.
Archive status: approximately 1,755 words; Daily Inspiration only category.
2023-01-11 — Daily Inspiration: “It’s time to move from triage to tomorrow!”
“It’s time to move from triage to tomorrow!” - Futurist Jim Carroll Next month will mark 3 years since individuals and organizations began to go through the largest disruption they will ever know. With lockdowns, a staggering loss of human life, work-from-home, and the rapid emergence of a digital lifestyle and e-commerce infrastructure - we all had to learn to adapt quickly. As I close out this series of 23 Trends for 2023, I’ve been thinking long and hard as to what the final, all-encompassing trend should be; to be honest, I’ve had several.
Archive status: approximately 2,412 words; Daily Inspiration only category.
2023-02-08 — Daily Inspiration: “Recommit. Rethink Reinforce! Don’t let the detractors bring you down!”
“Recommit. Rethink Reinforce! Don’t let the detractors bring you down!” - Futurist Jim Carroll It’s pretty easy to become dispirited.
Archive status: approximately 1,627 words; Daily Inspiration only category.
2023-02-28 — Daily Inspiration: “Judge your success by what you actually do. Not just by what you plan to do!”
“Judge your success by what you actually do. Not just by what you plan to do!” - Futurist Jim Carroll You know you’ve got a problem but you don’t fix it. You there are opportunities but you don’t chase them.
Archive status: approximately 1,668 words; Daily Inspiration only category.
2023-03-01 — Daily Inspiration: “If you weren’t paying attention in chemistry class, you d better start paying attention now!”
“If you weren’t paying attention in chemistry class, you d better start paying attention now!” - Futurist Jim Carroll Actually, I was really good at chemistry - it was just math. It didn’t really catch my interest though. My dad was a chemical engineer.
Archive status: approximately 1,606 words; Daily Inspiration only category.
2023-05-15 — Daily Inspiration: “The only way to successfully print a two-sided card is to completely abandon the idea altogether!”
“The only way to successfully print a two-sided card is to completely abandon the idea altogether!” - Futurist Jim Carroll I have never met anyone who has successfully, without significant mental trauma, printed a greeting card that folds properly, or, as the software and hardware companies suggest with their phrasing, print a ‘two-sided card.’ I was reminded of this fact that one day last week when a neighbor of mine sent a message asking for help; she had prepared a wonderful photo collage for her daughter and needed some help figuring it out. I quickly advised her that this was not my department; that I had a rather difficult and perhaps hateful relationship with printers! I sent my wife
Archive status: approximately 1,799 words; Daily Inspiration only category.
2023-06-06 — Daily Inspiration: “You’ll never get to the future if you never attempt the future!”
“You’ll never get to the future if you never attempt the future! ”- Futurist Jim Carroll If you are into that type of thing you might have tuned into Apple’s WWDC event yesterday to get a first look at their new VR/AR headset - or, what they are calling their new spatial computing device. And if you are like me, you would have been pretty shocked by the price at $3,499 (or about $5,000 Canadian, my home country.) You would have been really disappointed in the tether wire necessary for longer-lasting battery power.
Archive status: approximately 2,986 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2023-12-15 — Daily Inspiration: 24 Strategies for 2024 #15 - “Shatter some norms”
“Shatter some norms” - Futurist Jim Carroll Futurist Jim Carroll is running a series that began November 27, 2023, and will end on January 1, 2024 - ‘24 Strategies for 2024.’ Rather than running a trend series for the upcoming year as he has previously, this series will examine a number of his personal beliefs on how to best align yourself with the future. There will be a post each weekday, excluding weekends and holidays, until the series runs its course. You will find it on his blog at https://blog.jimcarroll.com, or on the website https://2024.jimcarroll.com Let’s talk about Taylor Swift, and what you can learn from her stunning success as you go forward into 2024.
Archive status: approximately 1,712 words; Daily Inspiration only category.
2023-12-18 — Daily Inspiration: 24 Strategies for 2024 #16 - “Fail at fewer first impression failures”
“Fail at fewer first impression failures” - Futurist Jim Carroll Futurist Jim Carroll is running a series that began November 27, 2023, and will end on January 1, 2024 - ‘24 Strategies for 2024.’ Rather than running a trend series for the upcoming year as he has previously, this series will examine a number of his personal beliefs on how to best align yourself with the future. There will be a post each weekday, excluding weekends and holidays, until the series runs its course. You will find it on his blog at https://blog.jimcarroll.com, or on the website https://2024.jimcarroll.com The people you meet are often not who you think - we all suffer from stereotypes, bias, and quick judgment.
Archive status: approximately 2,010 words; Daily Inspiration only category.
2023-12-19 — Daily Inspiration: 24 Strategies for 2024 #17 - “Invest in kindness”
“Invest in kindness” - Futurist Jim Carroll Futurist Jim Carroll is running a series that began November 27, 2023, and will end on January 1, 2024 - ‘24 Strategies for 2024.’ Rather than running a trend series for the upcoming year as he has previously, this series will examine a number of his personal beliefs on how to best align yourself with the future. There will be a post each weekday, excluding weekends and holidays, until the series runs its course. You will find it on his blog at https://blog.jimcarroll.com, or on the website https://2024.jimcarroll.com If you follow me, you might get a sense that I tend to have a rather compassionate soul.
Archive status: approximately 1,978 words; Daily Inspiration only category.
2023-12-22 — Daily Inspiration: 24 Strategies for 2024 #20 - “Honor every learning curve”
“Honor every learning curve” - Futurist Jim Carroll Futurist Jim Carroll is running a series that began November 27, 2023, and will end on January 1, 2024 - ‘24 Strategies for 2024.’ Rather than running a trend series for the upcoming year as he has previously, this series will examine a number of his personal beliefs on how to best align yourself with the future. There will be a post each weekday, excluding weekends and holidays, until the series runs its course. You will find it on his blog at https://blog.jimcarroll.com, or on the website https://2024.jimcarroll.com As we head into the Christmas break, I wanted to wish everyone both a wonderful Christmas and a joyous holiday break!
Archive status: approximately 1,693 words; Daily Inspiration only category.
2023-12-28 — Daily Inspiration: 24 Strategies for 2024 #22 - “Stay focused on the ’BIG’ future”
“Stay focused on the ’BIG’ future” - Futurist Jim Carroll Futurist Jim Carroll is running a series that began November 27, 2023, and will end on January 1, 2024 - ‘24 Strategies for 2024.’ Rather than running a trend series for the upcoming year as he has previously, this series will examine a number of his personal beliefs on how to best align yourself with the future. There will be a post each weekday, excluding weekends and holidays, until the series runs its course. You will find it on his blog at https://blog.jimcarroll.com, or on the website https://2024.jimcarroll.com Are you thinking about the trends that matter?
Archive status: approximately 1,594 words; Daily Inspiration only category.
2024-01-02 — Daily Inspiration: “10 Great Words for 2024”
“10 Great Words for 2024 - Explore, Imagine, Embrace, Challenge, Strategize, Create, Defy, Avoid, Persevere, Do!” - Futurist Jim Carroll Happy New Year! Keeping up with a tradition that began back in 2006 - starting each year with ‘10 Great Words’ - here’s what I’m thinking for 2024! I had a little bit of fun this year, in that I used an AI to help generate the list; I had it read through the 279 Daily Inspiration posts I wrote this year, analyzing them for the most common words and themes that I used throughout 2023.
Archive status: approximately 1,883 words; Daily Inspiration only category.
2024-01-15 — Daily Inspiration: Healthcare and the Future - “You can always look forward by looking back!”
“You can always look forward by looking back!” - Futurist Jim Carroll “16 years ago, Futurist Jim Carroll spoke in Washington DC on the future of healthcare. He challenged the audience to think about what the world of healthcare would look like one day in the future - picking an arbitrary, random date of January 15, 2020. Now, 16 years later, take a look at how he did with his predictions!
Archive status: approximately 2,944 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2024-03-04 — Daily Inspiration: Frogs in Texas - “Have you ever thought that perhaps you have been looking in the wrong direction, at the wrong time, at the wrong threat?”
“Have you ever thought that perhaps you have been looking in the wrong direction, at the wrong time, at the wrong threat?” - Futurist Jim Carroll It’s book week! Each day, a post involving one of my books! That’s because there are TWO big milestones this week.
Archive status: approximately 1,592 words; Daily Inspiration only category.
2024-03-05 — Daily Inspiration: Initiative & Success - “Seize every moment of magic!”
“Seize every moment of magic!” - Futurist Jim Carroll It’s book week! Each day, a post involving one of my books! That’s because there are TWO big milestones this week.
Archive status: approximately 1,831 words; Daily Inspiration only category.
2024-03-06 — Daily Inspiration: Skills & Reinvention - “Every failure is in reality a critical step in a successful reinvention!”
“Every failure is in reality a critical step in a successful reinvention!” - Futurist Jim Carroll It’s book week! Each day, a post involving one of my books! Today, my biggest book failure!
Archive status: approximately 1,782 words; Daily Inspiration only category.
2024-08-30 — Daily Inspiration: Trends & Timing - “Recognize that every major trend first involves huge short-term risk but is often eventually followed by a massive upside!”
“Recognize that every major trend first involves huge short-term risk but is often eventually followed by a massive upside!” - Futurist Jim Carroll One of the most important things to realize about any future trend is that it can be pretty difficult to achieve any opportunity from it until it matures. That means that in the short term, it can be pretty painful - but in the long pretty, significantly wonderful. Take the idea of e-commerce.
Archive status: approximately 2,387 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2024-10-07 — Daily Inspiration - Creativity & Innovation : “See differently and you’ll innovate brilliantly!”
“See differently and you’ll innovate brilliantly!” - Futurist Jim Carroll Most people see a ketchup bottle. Creative people see trends & innovation! Last week, I spoke at the Manufacturers Association for Plastic Processors conference in Indianapolis; my topic was the impact and opportunity of artificial intelligence technologies in the manufacturing industry.
Archive status: approximately 2,576 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2024-12-31 — Daily Inspiration: 25 Things for 2025 – #24: “Be spectacularly misfocused and gloriously distracted!”
“Be spectacularly misfocused and gloriously distracted!” - Futurist Jim Carroll Futurist Jim Carroll is writing a series, “25 Things I’ve Learned That Will Carry Me Into 2025.” He is putting this together based on his 30-year career as a futurist, trends, and innovation expert, advising leaders of some of the world’s most prestigious organizations on how to align to a faster future. He intends for the series to provide valuable guidance to others eager to learn how to move through a year that promises to be volatile, unpredictable, and full of uncertainty. Each day, the post goes out on multiple mailing lists, social media networks, and to the Website https://2025inspiration.jimcarroll.com S
Archive status: approximately 2,387 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2025-01-03 — Daily Inspiration: (Grading My 2014 Predictions About 2025) - “Sometimes you need not be right you just need to be bold!”
“Sometimes you need not be right you just need to be bold!” - Futurist Jim Carroll Welcome to 2025! Back in 2014, I wrote a series of predictions about 2025 - in a document titled, of all things, ‘25 Trends for 2025’. (Intuitive!) At the time I wrote it, most of the news media were busy, as they are every year, contacting futurists, trend forecasters, and guys like me to bang together their year-end articles about “what comes next?
Archive status: approximately 4,908 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2025-02-10 — Daily Inspiration: The Future of Insurance: “New risk demands new thinking. Uninsurable risk demands bold thinking”
“New risk demands new thinking. Uninsurable risk demands bold thinking.” - Futurist Jim Carroll In just about a month, I’ll head to California to headline a major insurance conference. The fact that I’m speaking in a region that is home to one of the largest insurance losses in US history is not lost on me, and in fact, will provide form for much of my talk.
Archive status: approximately 2,502 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2025-03-07 — Daily Inspiration: Giving Back - “Intentional kindness: humanity’s superpower”
“Intentional kindness: humanity’s superpower” - Futurist Jim Carroll, with a shoutout to Drew Sullivan, APB Speakers The image in today’s Inspiration features my good friend Michael Simon; the phrase, “intentional kindness,” comes from one of my speaker bureau agents, Drew Sullivan. One teaches us the importance of finding moments of joy when we need it most and the importance of ‘giving back’; the other involves intentionally making those moments of joy for others because they truly matter. It’s a long post, but I want you to read it.
Archive status: approximately 1,883 words; Daily Inspiration only category.
2025-05-23 — Decoding Tomorrow: Your Daily Future Inspiration – “You can escape the mediocrity you once embraced, but will you ever fully eradicate it?”
“You can escape the mediocrity you once embraced, but will you ever fully eradicate it?” - Futurist Jim Carroll It’s been a wild voyage bringing these two books to print in just a few months, and I’m loving the feedback and comments from those who have picked up copies. (Are you in? You can grab copies at the Mediocrity website !) But while working on them, I’m always thinking.
Archive status: approximately 3,874 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2025-05-29 — Decoding Tomorrow: Your Daily Future Inspiration – “There is no shortage of big opportunities.. There is a shortage of bold leadership!”
“There is no shortage of big opportunities.. There is a shortage of bold leadership!” = Futurist Jim Carroll One of my fellow futurists recently included this line in a post I read - “We should be pulling more photons from the sun.” He wrote it as an observation when he was flying into an American city, and saw an absolute dearth of solar panels on the roofs of homes and buildings. Solar energy - the infrastructure at least - has become desperately cheap and tremendously productive, and we are missing such a big opportunity.
Archive status: approximately 3,803 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2025-08-08 — Decoding Tomorrow: 30 Megatrends - #27 America’s Retreat “By abandoning its R&D leadership, the US is ceding the future of global innovation and success to its competitors.”
“By abandoning its R&D leadership, the US is ceding the future of global innovation and success to its competitors.” - Futurist Jim Carroll (Futurist Jim Carroll is writing a series on 30 Megatrends, which he first outlined in his book Dancing in the Rain: How Bold Leaders Grow Stronger in Stormy Times. The trends were shared in the book as a way of demonstrating that, despite any period of economic volatility, there is always long-term opportunity to be found. The book is now in print - learn more at dancing.jimcarroll.com) This is a LONG post.
Archive status: approximately 3,082 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2025-08-12 — Decoding Tomorrow: 30 Megatrends - #29 The Arrival of the Humanoid Robot - “A decade of progress in a year; the humanoid robot era is here, and it’s accelerating with astonishing speed and breathtaking developments.”
“A decade of progress in a year; the humanoid robot era is here, and it’s accelerating with astonishing speed and breathtaking developments.” - Futurist Jim Carroll (Futurist Jim Carroll is writing a series on 30 Megatrends, which he first outlined in his book Dancing in the Rain: How Bold Leaders Grow Stronger in Stormy Times. The trends were shared in the book as a way of demonstrating that, despite any period of economic volatility, there is always long-term opportunity to be found. The book is now in print - learn more at dancing.jimcarroll.com) The humanoid robot industry is accelerating due to a convergence of advanced AI, collapsing hardware costs, and massive new investment.
Archive status: approximately 2,606 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2025-09-23 — Decoding Tomorrow: The Way Forward: #1 Manufacturing - “The most valuable part of a modern manufacturing operation is the part you can’t see: the algorithms that optimize flow, the data that predicts failure, and the agility that makes the entire process intelligent.”
“The most valuable part of a modern manufacturing operation is the part you can’t see: the algorithms that optimize flow, the data that predicts failure, and the agility that makes the entire process intelligent.” - Futurist Jim Carroll In September 2025, the headwinds are severe, and the path forward seems shrouded in fog. We’re living through one of the most volatile and unpredictable periods in recent memory. With that being the case, I am writing this new series, The Way Forward: A Trends and Transformation Series, taking a look at the trends redefining industries, and actionable strategies organizations must pursue to align to these realities.
Archive status: approximately 2,221 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2025-09-24 — Decoding Tomorrow: The Way Forward: #2 Agriculture- The farmer of the future is part biologist, part data scientist, and part roboticist—but is still 100% an optimist who plants a seed and believes in tomorrow.”
“The farmer of the future is part biologist, part data scientist, and part roboticist—but is still 100% an optimist who plants a seed and believes in tomorrow.” - Futurist Jim Carroll In 2025, the headwinds are severe, and the path forward seems shrouded in fog. We’re living through one of the most volatile and unpredictable periods in recent memory. With that being the case, I am writing this new series, The Way Forward: A Trends and Transformation Series, taking a look at the trends redefining industries, and actionable strategies organizations must pursue to align to these realities.
Archive status: approximately 2,882 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2025-09-26 — Decoding Tomorrow: The Way Forward: #4 Healthcare: “Yesterday’s medical breakthrough was a new drug. Tomorrow’s breakthrough is the intelligent algorithm that designs the drug, the connected device that delivers it, and the data stream that confirms it worked.”
“Yesterday’s medical breakthrough was a new drug. Tomorrow’s breakthrough is the intelligent algorithm that designs the drug, the connected device that delivers it, and the data stream that confirms it worked.”- Futurist Jim Carroll In 2025, the headwinds are severe, and the path forward seems shrouded in fog. We’re living through one of the most volatile and unpredictable periods in recent memory.
Archive status: approximately 2,793 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2025-09-29 — Decoding Tomorrow: The Way Forward: #5 Construction: “For centuries, construction was about brute force. The next century will be about intelligence—smart materials, robotic precision, and data-driven design.”
“For centuries, construction was about brute force. The next century will be about intelligence—smart materials, robotic precision, and data-driven design.” - Futurist Jim Carroll In 2025, the headwinds are severe, and the path forward seems shrouded in fog. We’re living through one of the most volatile and unpredictable periods in recent memory.
Archive status: approximately 2,213 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2025-10-02 — Decoding Tomorrow: The Way Forward: #8 Banking & Financial Services - “For centuries, finance was defined by stability and caution. For the next decade, it will be defined by velocity and agility. The slow will not survive.”
“For centuries, finance was defined by stability and caution. For the next decade, it will be defined by velocity and agility. The slow will not survive.” - Futurist Jim Carroll In 2025, the headwinds are severe, and the path forward seems shrouded in fog.
Archive status: approximately 2,333 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2025-10-06 — Decoding Tomorrow: The Way Forward: #9 Auto & Transportation - “A decade from now, the automotive landscape will be dominated by companies that treated 2025’s reality check not as a crisis, but as the greatest competitive opportunity they ever witnessed!”
“A decade from now, the automotive landscape will be dominated by companies that treated 2025’s reality check not as a crisis, but as the greatest competitive opportunity they ever witnessed!” - Futurist Jim Carroll In 2025, the headwinds are severe, and the path forward seems shrouded in fog. We’re living through one of the most volatile and unpredictable periods in recent memory. With that being the case, I am writing this new series, The Way Forward: A Trends and Transformation Series, taking a look at the trends redefining industries, and actionable strategies organizations must pursue to align with these realities.
Archive status: approximately 2,649 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2025-10-24 — Decoding Tomorrow: Daily Inspiration - “For the first time, social media use might actually be declining. And that’s probably a great thing!”
“For the first time, social media use might actually be declining. And that’s probably a great thing!” - Futurist Jim Carroll Some months ago, I became a first-time grandfather, and I must say, these are some of the most magical moments of my life! But you wouldn’t know it by my social media posts, because I haven’t been posting any pictures.
Archive status: approximately 1,617 words; Daily Inspiration only category.
2025-11-11 — Daily Inspiration: ““At an age when most boys sought adventure, he sought duty.”
“At an age when most boys sought adventure, he sought duty, trading the Corporal’s badge for the hidden path of a scout—becoming the eyes and ears of a fighting division.” - Futurist Jim Carroll My dad joined the Canadian Army at the age of 16, one day after Poland was invaded. Not only that, he downgraded his rank voluntarily while in Italy so that he could be a motorcycle patrol scout on the front lines. Today, as we mark November 11 - known as Remembrance Day in Canada - I’ll share the details I learned about my dad’s service in World War 2 after finally obtaining his war records.
Archive status: approximately 2,133 words; Daily Inspiration only category.
2025-12-02 — Decoding Tomorrow: Mastering 2026 – #9: “Know this: if your goals feel ‘realistic,’ you are thinking too small.”
“Know this: if your goals feel ‘realistic,’ you are thinking too small.” - Futurist Jim Carroll We are on Day 9. You’ve committed to the pivot (Day 7), and you are increasing your execution velocity (Day 8). You are moving faster.
Archive status: approximately 2,913 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2025-12-08 — Decoding Tomorrow: Mastering 2026 - #13 The Wisdom Inversion: “Know when to get your age out of the way.”
“Know when to get your age out of the way.” - Futurist Jim Carroll We are on Day 13. We just spent Day 12 dismantling your personal hubris - getting your ego out of the way. One of the most important aspects of that?
Archive status: approximately 2,641 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2025-12-09 — Decoding Tomorrow: Mastering 2026 – #14 Hype Immunity - “Leadership today isn’t about what you chase. It’s about what you ignore.”
“Leadership today isn’t about what you chase. It’s about what you ignore.” - Futurist Jim Carroll We are on Day 14 of my 26 Principles for 2026 - guidance to guide you through a world of exponential change. If you don’t remember why this is so critical, go back and read the intro!
Archive status: approximately 2,626 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2025-12-10 — Decoding Tomorrow: Mastering 2026 – #15 Escape Velocity “Scale immediately or fail slowly. There is no middle ground.”
“Scale immediately or fail slowly. There is no middle ground.”- Futurist Jim Carroll We are on Day 15! You’ve listened to the edge (Day 13) and filtered out the hype to find a real structural signal (Day 14).
Archive status: approximately 3,049 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2025-12-11 — Decoding Tomorrow: Mastering 2026 – #16 Scale-blindness: “Your brain is built for addition. The future is built on multiplication.”
“Your brain is built for addition. The future is built on multiplication.” - Futurist Jim Carroll When exponential change arrives, it never goes well. That’s because most people fail to understand what it means and don’t act, which is a problem.
Archive status: approximately 2,735 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2025-12-12 — Decoding Tomorrow: Mastering 2026 – #17 Unapologetic Uniqueness: “Always remember that conformity is where tomorrow’s greatness goes to die.”
“Always remember that conformity is where tomorrow’s greatness goes to die.” - Futurist Jim Carroll I’ve long suggested that one of the best ways to align with the future is through this thinking: when everybody is running one way, run the other way! Be the contrarian. The hole in the bucket, the square peg with a bunch of round holes, the one who says “why not?’ when everyone else is saying ‘why?’ We are on Day 17.
Archive status: approximately 2,476 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2025-12-17 — Decoding Tomorrow: Mastering 2026 – #20 Network Velocity: “If you are the fastest person in the room, you are in the wrong room.”
“If you are the fastest person in the room, you are in the wrong room.” - Futurist Jim Carroll 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.
Archive status: approximately 2,739 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
2025-12-18 — Decoding Tomorrow: Mastering 2026 – #21 Signal Intelligence - “Your new challenge isn’t finding the insight-it’s filtering out the noise.”
“Your new challenge isn’t finding the insight - it’s filtering out the noise.” - Futurist Jim Carroll It 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.
Archive status: approximately 2,433 words; also classified elsewhere in the WordPress archive.
Editorial rule
Preserve the original wording and date. Later interpretation belongs beside the receipt, never silently inside it. Where a call can now be evaluated, connect it to a Scorecard. Where it remains unresolved, leave the outcome open.
Foresight question
What exactly was being claimed at the time, and what evidence would count as confirmation, partial confirmation or a miss?