A Letter from the Future
I don’t know about you, but Monday was my first day back at my desk after a well earned Xmas break in the sunshine. But mere moments in, a new form of back to school weasels started to creep in.
This time it wasn’t from the fact that I was relearning how to type, wondering if the increase in my waist size correlated to an increase in diameter of my fingers, how I would make it past 11am without a gin or the usual self loathing that comes with failing to tidy my mailbox and desktop, again.
No, this time it was from my professional network, my LinkedIn feed. I couldn’t help find the sheer volume of trend based articles for 2022, some pretty wild predictions and plenty, plenty lists on how to be a better person and professional from just about every person who’d lost themselves in a self help book over the holidays, some what overwhelming.
Never one to miss out though, I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon. But while looking to the future is critical, my version is going to be somewhat different, a more imaginative approach to a forecast for 2022, by writing it as a letter to myself from 2023.
This futures practice is a tool that usually focuses on a longer period, say 10 years - but I felt given the rough ride we’ve all been on the last few, we could remix this one in a way that anyone can create their own.
The point of this exercise is to use the power of play and imagination to create constructs of what the world, and our futures could be, in a more playful, creative way - but ultimately tapping into motivations we have for the future, that can actually leave you feeling more inspired, optimistic and feeling a greater sense of ownership of what the year could hold, in good times and bad.
So this will be my only piece of advice for 2022 - give it a whirl and write a letter to yourself while we’re in this unique, contemplative state. Open the doors of possibility and absurdity and have some fun with it.
These are not predictions, but imaginative scenarios that could happen, and if they did, how would you feel? Do these developments make you more excited, hopeful or fearful and uncomfortable? There is no right or wrong, but if you find the time to explore it I can guarantee you will not only be surprised by what you read, but you’ll be left feeling more connected to the future you have the power to write for yourself.
“It feels like we’ve shed an old skin and stepped into a new one, there is energy in the eyes of the people, and we seem to be genuinely working more collectively, for good.”
To ’22, From ‘23
Hello Old Bean
Well what a year, another rollercoaster of a ride, filled with inevitable twists and turns, highs and lows but yet again we’ve emerged ready to face another.
I must say, this one definitely feels better than the last couple. As I sit here drenched in sweat, I know it’s not all peaches and cream out there, but it feels like we’ve shed an old skin and stepped into a new one, there is energy in the eyes of the people, and we seem to be genuinely working more collectively, for good.
There is plenty to get excited about for years to come, and lots of work to be done in preparing for them. There is so much to say but thought I’d try capture some of the key highlights from 2022:
Closure On Covid: Yup, we finally got to grips with life with Covid, putting the fear it created behind us. Thank god for that. Better still, it was our doctors and scientists that officially lead the international community on practices to manage the virus. So now we have a legitimate reason to be proud of our country for something other than men chasing an egg shaped ball.
Not only did we see the spread of the actual virus dissipate, but we’ve even managed to remove it from our minds and vocabulary through innovative initiatives like the Covid Swear Jar - the voice activated app that fines you every time you mention the C-word. Did a brilliant job at building morale, and could even be a Lions winner they say - not bad for a government funded app in Africa.
A Confused Climate. I really didn’t want to talk about the weather but here we are. It’s too hot to think right now in Cape Town. The Mother City has been peaking consistently at temperatures over 40 degrees for the past 3 months, with thundershowers. WTF. London was 20 degrees on Christmas Day, and large parts of Madagascar have now been evacuated as there is pretty much zero drinking water left. I’m worried.
The deforestation of the Amazon has accelerated, with fresh evidence pointing to the clothing industry as a leading culprit. And whilst it seems our international counterparts are making strides to curb excessive consumption, locally it just doesn’t seem that the penny is dropping - despite numerous reports and exposes naming the perpetrators, Zara has posted a record profit and the store feels like an aggressive bee hive every day, filled with wealthy elite that will stop at nothing in their quest to finally all look the same. It’s that or they have the best aircon in town.
Life After Load Shedding. After 15 years, load shedding may finally be a thing of the past. That’s right, we’re on the road to cleaner, more accessible energy thanks to the ingenuity of some of the cash rich retail brands that realised that their growth is no longer limited to their category, and have diversified their investments into renewable energy. This has influenced government policy, created healthy competition making access to these sources accessible and will soon start to take the pressure off of our reliance on the antiquated Eskom grid, thanks to the power of big business.
Seeds of Change - The Green Economy Opens. At long last the commercial cultivation of cannabis has been legalised in South Africa and we are fast becoming the leading producer of high potency medical grade cannabis on the planet. The economic stimulation has been immediate. All those dark artists preparing for this day are making a killing but it’s worth it. New businesses, and products are popping up all over the place and the unemployment rate has already come down by a staggering 10%. A new dawn is underway for African agriculture thanks to investment in the local communities that have been farming this plant for hundreds of years.
Collaboration to End Food Poverty. The biggest grocery retailers, previously arch rivals, joined forces to invest in new food systems to tackle food poverty. They’re coming from unlikely sources - fly farms and mushrooms. Low cost, nutrient dense solutions that can be rapidly produced and distributed. The best thing is they’ve brought us on the journey with them - remember all those loyalty club points you were accumulating but never thought were useful? Well they’re now all going into this system. So the smarter you shop the more food you’re putting into stomachs of those in need.
Death to Corruption. It would seem that common sense has finally managed to prevail, or maybe our patience simply expired but the world has taken a hard line on corruption. Both in terms of political and business dealings, the publicity of the Elizabeth Holmes / Theromos case in the US and the Zondo Commission findings here in South Africa really opened the floodgates, and have led to a zero tolerance policy, with expedient trials and ruthless punishment. The Media are leading the charge and responsible journalism seems to be back.
Tackling the Femicide Pandemic. Gender violence is still a massive issue. The numbers are still sickening. But there are glimmers of light however - the sale of large volume, low cost alcohol has been banned, and the tax on alcohol has gone up, which has had a big impact on alcohol consumption and domestic violence. And ever since the bill was passed to publish the daily GBV case numbers on the news and on the front pages of the papers they’ve started to drop. Although the news isn’t good, awareness of the issue is helping drive it down.
Kind is Currency. The saying back in ’21 was ‘kind is the new cool’. Well we’re actively investing in creating a currency around kindness. The most downloaded app of the year enables users to rate each others kindness based on acts of kindness, creating a form of kindness clout. It’s become a useful tool integrated into professional profiles, and dating apps to find better job and partner matches. Plus influencers are just really nice now. And yes, you can use it in the meta verse.
Government 3.0. Politics is changing! Davos this year had a pretty incredible outcome - based in success and stability in Scandinavia, the world’s power elite have started discussions to remove career politicians from office by 2030. This means that ministers in parliament will have to have a track record of excelling in their fields in order to occupy office. An honour I guess, not a privilege. We may live to see a Health Minister that’s actually a Doctor.
There’s been so much more, but I need to go, my laptop is about to melt, and I need to finish minting my Swag Bol recipe.
Keep shining. Big love x
