Almost everyone looks to see what the future will hold for them. Will money flow, or will it be tight? How do you pick investments? Should you make do with what you have or branch out? Are styles due to change in the short or long term?
What trends are happening now, and how will they influence me, my friends, family, and clients?
Do You Feel Confused About Trends?
Are you concerned that you will keep up with what is happening now and what is predicted to happen down the road? There is always some new research out there. What people are saying? Some studies indicate positive trends, while others are very negative, and still, a third group is ambivalent. They can’t tell!
Here is something to think about. You and your environment may just be creating a trend. Try to view yourself as if you were at arm’s length. What made you buy that model sofa in that Italian Plum color with the winter blue trim? If, by chance, you chose a specific sofa model in a store, but the tangerine color wasn’t right for your home, you probably ordered it in a custom color. Considering how every purchase can be tracked by the stores or online places you shop, your color choice has been noted! And the algorithm of things is probably creating a report of some kind to the manufacturer that says more sofas were purchased in the color of Italian Plums than other colors.
Everything we choose could be setting new trends somewhere.
“I don’t diet, I don’t do fads, I’ve just decided to not eat carbs. So no more bread and pasta for the month. I can’t live without chocolate, though. I’ve always got a bar in my handbag. It has to be 72%. Any less and it’s too sweet, any more and it’s inedible. Like I said, I’m very particular.”
Nancy Meyers
People are often busy taking stock of where they fit in an uncertain and rapidly changing world.
Perhaps we should relax a bit more and realize we have more say so in trends of all kinds than has ever been possible in previous generations. People want more power and choice in both life and work. So the newest trend is individuality and freedom. The working-from-home trend is taking more personal control over our lives.
The working-from-home trend is showing up in the way people shop and travel. Consumers are demanding more memorable experiences to part with their money. This is a throwback to a time when customers received more personable service. For some purchases, being a widget in some company’s algorithms is not bad; you are buying a commodity. However, more individuals want more meaningful encounters. It is sort of like this: you may shop online for necessary groceries, pick them up at the door, and away you go. You saved time. However, more people occasionally browse the aisles to see what else is available. Those with more time, possibly feeling a bit shut-in, desire some experience and a c, a few friendly words, and a smile upon checkout.
Personal Shopping
Clerks are friendlier and go the extra mile, or people leave. There is a craving for the “up-close and personal” type of service. You want to feel good about your purchases in the hopes that these feelings will transfer to the recipients of your expenditures. People are returning to stores to shop but not lessening their online purchases. It seems to be all about the experience.
Digital technologies like intelligent mirrors and mannequins with apps for everything will change retail shopping. Retail brick-and-mortar stores are beginning to entice customers with a more virtual feel—with the added attractiveness of interacting with an actual human instead of anonymous referrals.
You may have to complete a lifestyle questionnaire before shopping for a new wardrobe. Then, Ultra-select personal shoppers will guide you through endless choices on a computer screen before taking you around to try things on. Or suggest a series of stores you can go to in a mall. This kind of service could go a long way to help someone who is too busy to walk through a whole mall only to be disappointed.
Businesses may not want to stock endless supplies of this or that, only to find that they have to mark things down to break even on costs.
Many people go shopping, just looking at what is available. But they want to buy something… Perhaps a sale item. Awesome, they spot one. But what about those who wish to have a coordinated wardrobe? Choosing whole outfits with the right look for you can be a lot better than trying to put together odds and sods from your bedroom clothes closet.
As customers sift through lists and images online, the tediousness will be exchanged with a more thoughtful customer journey. Lifelike interactive metaverse rooms are at your disposal. Quick and easy decisions are significant, but a more memorable experience can decide which brand makes the sale.
Will People Have Discretionary Funds?
As excellent as AI appears to make our work lives, robots do not shop for their family and friends or spend money! We have to be prepared for the considerable societal changes. AI will make researching a project much faster than ever. We will become more productive. I have to remember buying my first computer. It was daunting. I often sat there almost in tears, wondering how to make it do what I wanted. Then, it grew slower and slower. I had to invest in a new computer. The thing is, we have an almost infinite understanding of nuanced subjects. We will grow and learn to outpace or at least use AI to empower us further and become time savers.
Eventually, the future will be as predicted. We humans will have more time, more leisure, and better lifestyles. Well, I hope we will all be more affluent. We will have to learn new skills, and investing our earnings rather than spending it all upfront could be one way.
The butterflies flapping their wings in faraway places may create as yet unaccounted-for prospects. Like butterflies fluttering on breezes, we must be aware of new ideas, showcase, give, and share our talents, and find ways to amass new trendy skills to create better lives and economies.
Good things can happen when you least expect them.
Emerging technologies promise more control and sovereignty for people, particularly youth. With never-before-seen positive future outcomes for businesses and individuals, this seems like it could be a period of tremendous growth. Don’t let the doom-sayers get you! Look for the silver lining, and you will often find one.
There is a story about two men who found themselves stuck one evening in a ditch with a flat tire on a lonely road. One moaned, groaned, and complained to the other man about everything that had gone wrong. Yes, many things contributed to their dilemma. Yet the other man just got to work to fix the flat. In doing so, he remarked about the beautiful sunset and all the vibrant colors it had. He seemed to accept the situation and cajoled the other man to help so they could return to their families sooner.
He seemed in no hurry, preferring to be positive. “We’ll laugh about this later,” he said. After a while, things started to go smoothly, and when they were almost ready to try and drive the car out of the ditch, they heard a plaintiff sound. Upon investigating, they found an injured dog, whimpering and almost gone. They were able to help the dog into the car and take it to a vet. Of course, one of the men ended up keeping the dog as a family pet. But the blessing in this story is that that dog saved the life of the man’s daughter by barking so loudly when she fell into their pool that she was rescued almost immediately.
You never know what opportunity can be realized from some difficulty.
Moments in life are not always what they seem. Under the surface of things a figurative butterfly may be cocooning. With a little trust and patience our situation can change from like that of a groveling worm into a free-flying beauty.
Changing Technologies
We will find ways to use AI developments to improve our lives. To ask for and get lines of perfect code, research volumes of library books for answers in seconds, and create new worlds for ourselves, speeding up time. There will still be room for genuine inspiration! Just keep listening to your own inner muse.
Developing your creative inspiration is like exercising a muscle. Once you learn to let the ideas flow, nothing can stop you.
Keep Moving, Growing, and Learning.
We have all experienced some unintended consequences in our lives. Unlike video games, where if you wash out, you just reset and start again without any loss or consequence, in real life, there are consequences. But that does not have to mean we stop learning and growing.
The Rise of The Creative Economy
Creatives take a more entrepreneurial approach to working. Collaboration is more important in establishing their culture of innovation. Those with creative talents, and many who do not, can join this more inclusive and eclectic group and often receive the mentoring they need to advance.
Suppose you are young and don’t know what to do with your life. If you think you have no choices, find a Creative Person or group and volunteer for them. It won’t be long before some creative gold dust rubs off on you, and you find new possibilities. Whatever age you are, find a way to volunteer, even just a little bit.
