I retired right before the pandemic, and have been contemplating what to do with myself – I need a new purpose. The Olympics were very inspiring, it always makes me appreciate the training that goes into that kind of performance. Any kind of performance takes work, whether it’s musical, educational, business or entertainment.
Visualization is a great technique for virtual rehearsing, it is also a way to make planning more effective. A great article landed in my inbox (Uncertain of your next career move? Develop a Life Vision) which picked up on this theme of visualizing goals and outcomes. It’s funny, I had a great career but I did not have an overall end goal or master plan to guide me along the way. I wish I had, the what if’s are haunting. I did have short and mid-term goals, and have to say that whatever I went after, I pretty much achieved it one way or another. I have attended training from the legends of my industries, and worked with incredible colleagues whose names you may recognize. And even though my career was fulfilling, I’m not sure what legacy remains. I am going to follow the process that the author Robert Hellmann recommended and will let you know my results. My Aunt Flossie told me, “It is never too late to find your passion.” She should know, she is awesome at 98 years old!
Speaking of visualization, I did want to note a new concept that is trending – #metaverse. For the uninitiated, according to Wikipedia
The Metaverse is a collective virtual shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical reality and physically persistent virtual space, including the sum of all virtual worlds, augmented reality, and the Internet. Wikipedia
The metaverse can have it’s own economy, jobs, social interactions, etc. Cryptocurrencies play a big role in transforming how banking works in the metaverse. The metaverse is being embraced by Facebook, Microsoft and Tencent. I found Matthew Ball’s primer and excellent diagram to help understand this concept:
And recently, I read this in an investment newsletter:
We are pleased to announce that META — the Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF — has surpassed $50 million in assets under management. The milestone comes less than six weeks after the fund’s launch. “We believe the Metaverse is a multi-trillion dollar transformation that will reach and impact every part of the global economy. I’m delighted that so many investors – and many of the most valuable companies in the world – share that perspective and have decided to invest alongside us” – said Matthew Ball of Ball Metaverse Research Partners.
It won’t be too long in the future that digital life will be more commonplace than organic, physical reality. The pandemic has shown us that virtual meetings via Zoom/Teams/Google etc can be as productive as meetings in brick and mortar buildings. Let me know what you think, and if the pandemic has made you reconsider your life’s work.
Tricia Wilcox Almas 