10 Truisms for 2012

As we head into 2012, here are ten truisms to keep in mind:

The rules have changed

What worked 50 years ago does not apply today. If your current strategies are no longer getting you the results you need, it’s time to connect with those who see the world differently and can help you shake up your thinking.

You must be global

Whatever social media channels you use, if you don’t have connections with people from the six inhabited continents, you should. Branch out your network this year to include contacts from around the world.

Change starts from within

If you want to affect change, it starts from within yourself and working within the system. People who look to others to create change for them are forfeiting their own important role in the process.

There is no great conspiracy

The only thing that is holding us back from significantly changing our world for the better is our own personal agendas and self-interest. The sooner we all openly collaborate without fear or bias, the sooner things will improve.

Talk gets old; action speaks

Now that everyone has a virtual soapbox to speak their mind, talk is cheaper than ever. Make your case, build consensus, and then get out there and do what you have said needs to be done. Walk the talk.

Individualization is changing our world

Look at school children today. They have an expectation that everything be individualized so that content and experiences are delivered that meet their specific needs and interests. The age of mass marketing is all but dead.

Technology is not the answer

Stop touting technology as the solution to the world’s problems. The truth is, technology becomes more powerful the more seamlessly it is used. As long as you make it about the technology, you are robbing it of its potential.

Wireless power sources will free us

Batteries and power cords are holding us back from the complete transformation of how we learn, work, create, communicate and entertain. Once the technology is freely available to power our tools through the air, a new innovation explosion will take place.

By the time you retire, education will not look the same

We are in the middle of the transformation now, and still fairly early in the process, but by the time you finish your career, the way children receive their education will look completely different from the current model.

The power of story transforms us; write your own

The further we get into the Information Age, the more obvious it is that storytelling is as powerful as ever. Why let anyone else write your story for you? Think for yourself, write your own story, and live it out as only you can.

Here’s to a great year ahead for everyone!