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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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What's Next Is Now summary
Frederik Pferdt
How to Live Future Ready
13 mins
Brief summary
What's Next Is Now by Frederik Pferdt guides us through the process of cultivating an innovative mindset, emphasizing the importance of creativity and forward-thinking strategies to navigate and thrive in an ever-changing world.
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What's Next Is Now
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Key idea 1 of 3
Facing the fire
Imagine you might lose your home in a wildfire. In the face of such devastating change, would you cling to the past, or embrace the opportunity to reshape your future? The author and his family confronted this question after evacuating their home in the Santa Cruz Mountains in 2020. For eleven days they lived in a camper van, moving from one friend’s driveway to another. It was a harrowing experience, following news updates as the fire moved closer and closer, but they made it their focus to learn from the experience. They saw their personal crisis as a direct result of the global climate crisis, with droughts and heat waves creating perfect conditions for wildfires.
Returning home, the author and his partner took several lessons from their experience. The fire was beyond their control, but their attitude to it was not. They maintained a stubborn faith that change is constructive, choosing to focus on the opportunity rather than fear. Being prepared, they realized, isn’t just about having a go-bag ready, but having a mindset poised to turn challenges into opportunities.
Our future doesn’t just happen to us; we create it through the choices we make today. The future isn’t some distant, abstract concept best left to futurists and their lofty predictions; it’s personal, shaped by the day-to-day decisions that gradually transform our lives. Futurists may captivate us with visions of AI and space travel, but ultimately, the story of your future is one that’s yours to write. The more intentional choices you make, the more agency you have to craft a future for yourself.
Thriving in times of uncertainty takes a “future-ready mindstate” – a way of engaging with the world that’s at once open, curious, experimental, empathetic, and radically optimistic. If you dial up these qualities, you notice possibilities that others miss. You reframe challenges as chances to innovate. You take risks, learn, and build connections.
There isn’t a strict formula. These dimensions ebb and flow according to the situation, like a jazz musician riffing on a theme. One moment may call for a burst of curiosity; the next, a dose of open-mindedness. But the trick is cultivating all of these capacities so you can draw on them as needed. Think of it as cross-training for a rapidly changing world.
One of the most powerful tools for strengthening this mindstate is creativity. You don’t have to be Picasso. Rather, you must, as the author calls it, connect the dots. First, you must collect the “dots” – that is, snippets of new input from the world around you — and then connect them in novel ways. Consider your morning commute. What if, instead of zombie-shuffling your usual route, you made a point of noticing five new things? Took a detour to walk a different street? Ordered your coffee somewhere new? Exposing yourself to fresh “dots” shifts your perspective, even slightly. These micro-choices can tilt the trajectory of your day day — and cumulatively, your life — in subtle ways that make space for serendipity.
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What is What's Next Is Now about?
What's Next Is Now (2024) presents a transformative mindset to help you navigate uncertainty with purpose. It offers a motivational guide to creating a future you desire through optimism, curiosity, and experimentation, offering practical exercises and real-world insights to foster a future-ready perspective.
What's Next Is Now Review
What's Next Is Now (2021) explores how embracing change and uncertainty can lead to growth and innovation in both personal and professional realms. Here are three reasons why this book stands out:
- It offers practical strategies for thriving in an ever-changing world, encouraging readers to adapt and seize opportunities for advancement.
- The book presents insights from Google's innovative culture, providing a unique perspective on fostering creativity and driving progress in any organization.
- Through compelling case studies and anecdotes, it demonstrates how embracing the unknown can lead to exciting possibilities, ensuring readers stay engaged and inspired throughout.
Who should read What's Next Is Now?
- Professionals navigating rapidly changing industries
- People experiencing major life transitions
- Those seeking motivation and optimism in the face of the future
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What's Next Is Now FAQs
What is the main message of What's Next Is Now?
Embrace change and innovation to succeed in today's fast-paced world.
How long does it take to read What's Next Is Now?
Read time varies; Blinkist summary takes minutes.
Is What's Next Is Now a good book? Is it worth reading?
Worth reading for insights on adapting to modern challenges.
Who is the author of What's Next Is Now?
The author of What's Next Is Now is Frederik Pferdt.
What to read after What's Next Is Now?
If you're wondering what to read next after What's Next Is Now, here are some recommendations we suggest:
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- May Contain Lies by Alex Edmans
- Nobody Cares About Your Career by Erika Ayers Badan
- The Stoic Path to Wealth by Darius Foroux
- How to Hug a Porcupine by Sean K. Smith
- The First Minute by Chris Fenning