Change yourself, own your future

2018 Week 39 – Friday September 28th

Written by: Liberty
Featured image by: Comet

What we decide to do now will guide our future and effect the rest of our lives. Such was the main point of the TED Talks we watched for Friducation on Week 39 of 2018. The talks had different presenters but the points of topic were interconnected. They were both about change during our lifetimes. Because everyone goes through change these topics were highly relevant for our whole team.

The psychology of your future self

The first video we watched was a presentation by Dan Gilbert called The psychology of your future self. Gilbert’s research aims to answer the question; Why do we make decisions that we regret in the future? The answer Gilbert arrived at had to do with measuring how people’s values changed over time.

The results proved that the one constant in life is change. While people’s values, preferences, and personality, all change over time, almost everyone underestimates the amount they will change over the next ten years. He refers to this as ‘the end of history illusion’ because humans are constant works in progress, change slows with age but not as much as people expect.

Perhaps the most interesting part was comparing the “ease of remembering” with the “difficulty of imaging” to explain why it’s much easier to dwell in the past then to forecast the future. Who we are in the present is temporary, but we will only notice it when we look back.

Why 30 is not the new 20

The other video we watched was ‘Why 30 is not the new 20’ presented by Meg Jay. This presentation is a warning to any youth that is going through their 20s mindlessly drifting along. Do no do it! You are missing out on the most opportune time in your life to get your priorities in order.

The message is clear; Make your young adulthood a decade of development. Jay offers three key pieces of advice including: invest in identity capital, explore outside of your immediate social circle, and start planning for marriage and family before you have one. The choices you make in your 20s can lay the groundwork for the rest of your life. If you focus on urgency and ambition, while eschewing procrastination and idleness, then you’ll be on the right path to avoiding a mid-life crisis.

The lessons in this video are best served for people currently in their 20s or younger, however there is nothing wrong with encouraging people of any age to get proactive. A good reminder that it’s not too late.

Be the change and win

Many of the points presented in the talks we already take to heart at Pixel Dreams, like planning ahead, making the most of your time and embracing change. Out of interest for our community health, let’s take heed of the advice. These truly are some ideas worth spreading.

Remember, who you are is not set in stone. The present now offers an amazing opportunity to reflect on the past and envision the future. Be the change you to want be today and the future will be yours.

Subscribe to our blog

Receive fresh content right in your inbox!