I spent more time talking to people for this year’s annual Trend Forecast Report 2020. Tuning into the subtle waves in their voices, meeting their eyes, I couldn’t help hearing the poignant emotions. Folks are burnt out and loaded with self-doubt. What’s this about? Here’s my take: The culture’s emphasis...
Life
2020 Trend Forecast Report: Looking Ahead to a Year of Breakthroughs
Welcome to the 2020 Trend Forecast Report! Today marks our 10th Trend Report and it gives me pause. When I started this report 9 years ago, the iPhone had only been around for 6 months. George W. Bush was president. Nobody had ever heard of Justin Bieber. Every year, I...
Year in Review: How to Write a More Magical Story of Your Life
Every day, we are writing the story of our lives. We don’t always think of it that way. Life happens to us. We get busy. Before we know it, we are signing holiday cards and decking the halls. Creating a richer, more vivid story requires that we first look backward,...
Resolutions, Self-determination, and What Makes a Change Stick
I’ve been setting and forgetting resolutions my whole life. Like most people, I’ve had mixed results. Like the year I got incredibly fit and lost 40 pounds after I turned 50. Or the time I found a beautiful little house in a good area that I could actually afford. Or...
The Rising LGBTQ Tide and Millennial Voters
I don’t usually cover politics. I prefer to write about people and things that change the culture. Spring means commencement speeches, and often politicians pop up to give them, including Vice President Mike Pence. I love following college graduations because they offer a rare snap shot into what’s trending as...
You Think You’re Self-Aware? Why Personas Are A Bigger Deal
These days, the concept of the persona is very real. Personas offer building blocks toward becoming a more whole person–as long as you know what they can, and can’t, do for you. The viral wonder boy band BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) recently kicked off a new album cycle for Map of the Soul:...
Envisioning a Way Forward—Trend Report 2019
Every year, I bury myself. Not literally. I burrow into consumer data and devour breaking research and corporate forecasts. I interview experts and focus group moderators. My desktop is a jumble of notes and Post-Its. But there’s a method to the madness. Tracking the tremors before they turn into trends...
The Inner Life of Trends: Meaning, Motivation and What’s Morphing in 2019
Since moving to the woods last year, I’ve picked up a mild obsession: Looking up words I can re-purpose to describe 21st-century situations. This has become an important part of my work as a hunter of social phenomena. I want to associate new trends with an existing word — awesomize,...
2019 Resolution: Break Free from the Work/Life Paradox Part 2
To make the most of everyday life in 2019, I want to focus on the nexus of work and wellbeing. I’m talking about work/life integration, not work/life balance. Rather than seeking balance, which is nearly impossible for us mere mortals, I’d like to argue that it’s better to seek integration...