It's been cold here in the northeast.
Snow on the ground in many places.
Single digits with wind chill.
Yesterday, I ventured out to a favorite small beach close to my house. No one else was there, which made me extremely happy because I wanted the peace and tranquility of having a place like that to myself for a little while.
I set up my tripod and staged this photograph. Right after the photo was taken, I heard the voices of the two men you can see in the background.
Who the BLEEP is coming to this beach today? I wondered.
As they got closer, I could see each man was carrying a stick.
I said hello. They said hello. Then I said, What brings you out on a cold day like this? And what are you doing with those sticks?
The older one said, Oh, we're here to practice martial arts. What are you doing?
I said, I'm taking photos for my newsletter and blog.
That seemed to be an acceptable answer. I returned to my tripod. They proceeded to “warm up” in the open space inside the picnic pavilion which, I will admit, ruined my vibe of solitude.
Not that I had anything against them. Not that they were right next to me, either. Truthfully, there was enough room for all of us.
My crushed vibe had more to do with their unexpected presence than anything else. Most people aren’t as adventurous (perhaps crazy?) as I am, intentionally going outside on a cold day because I like the cold. Yet there they were, stretching their arms and legs in preparation for practicing martial arts in 20 degree weather.
Once I got over the initial shock of having my solitude interrupted, I thought, How cool is it that I'm not the only crazy one who ventures out into frigid temperatures to have an experience and find some sense of being beyond myself?
Maybe it was being outside in the cold for a bit or maybe it’s because we are still in January and the rest of the new year lies ahead of us that has me thinking about the future. Or maybe it’s because I’m an Aquarius and Aquarians are notoriously future-oriented.
Whatever the reason -- for this edition of Field Notes I decided to focus on a topic that has relevance for any of us who are looking ahead to what could be next, for our personal lives and also for our professional lives.
More Experiences. Less Stuff.
“He who dies with the most toys wins” is no longer bringing whatever strange sense of satisfaction it at one time brought. (Some of you may remember these bumper stickers from the '80s.)
Heads up to anyone who is remotely interested in where our economy is heading:
Trend spotters and futurists, who are part of my eclectic ecosystem, the following is worth paying attention to.
People way smarter than I am have collected data about consumer spending trends for the next few years.
I'll cut to the chase here:
American consumers are putting their money into two categories: personal growth/transformation and having experiences (e.g. international travel).
They are not putting as much of their money into acquiring more stuff.
What does this mean for us?*
1. If your work has anything to do with either of these categories, the future looks bright.
2. If you are thinking about making a pivot or starting something new, again...opportunities abound for entering this space and contributing your unique point of view to the larger conversation.
This trend is music to my ears because the backbone of my business is personal transformation -- providing learning experiences that facilitate personal growth. (Your Legacy Your Life Program is one example of this -- check it out here)
I also like the general feeling of optimism I'm getting about a collective shift happening in the world. It seems as if people are beginning to realize on a mass scale that the accumulation of things for the sake of accumulating things and outpacing the proverbial Joneses has reached its tipping point.
While I like having certain things (e.g. nice clothes, a home, a car, etc.) what I treasure most in my life are the memories firmly grounded in the amazing experiences I’ve had.
A few highlights:
- Working as a rafting guide on the Kenai River in Alaska.
- Camping for the entire summer on a lake in Maine with my family every year growing up.
- Cycle touring both islands of New Zealand for three months.
- Spending a weekend in NYC with Mastermind friends dining in hip restaurants and seeing a Broadway musical.
- Traveling through the UK with my two kids.
- Hiring a coach for a year to help me break through some of the meanest internal blocks anyone could ever have.
- Writing and publishing my books.
I suspect you have your own version of this list.
No new couch, slick sports car, Chanel Bag, or diamond bracelet comes close to holding the value these experiences hold for me.
So if you’re looking to expand this year, perhaps a way to cash in on consumer spending, or you are wondering if shelling out a few grand for a "smart" refrigerator makes more sense than investing in your personal growth or going on that dream trip to see Machu Picchu -- my recommendation is skip the appliance store and head straight for the transformation, the growth, the experience.
Unless your old fridge is avocado green, what you currently have is probably just fine.
And your next adventure awaits! What might it be?
*The information I share here is for educational purposes only. I am not a professional financial advisor, nor should what I write be taken as such.
