The World Economic Forum predicts 75 million jobs may disappear by 2022, but 133 million more will be created. Not everyone will benefit equally from this growth spurred by innovation.

While we can’t predict the future, we must be prepared for it. There are those that are inventing the future and those that are getting displaced by it. Are you ready to take on the opportunities and challenges coming your way?

The need to re-skill or up-skill to meet future demands has never been greater. People who successfully adapt to change and keep learning new skills will dominate in the digital age. If you don’t know what’s coming and aren’t prepared for change, then you will get left behind.

So, how do you prepare yourself to be future ready?

Run Two Races

With Artificial Intelligence and the rapid automation of tasks, our uniquely human abilities such as social and emotional skills have become even more valuable. Robots can automate hard skills, but soft skills will give us the edge. For example, complex problem solving, creativity and communication are set to be the most important job skills in 2020.

Opportunities both within and outside your organization depend on your market relevance, relationships and reputation. Simply doing your job, working hard, and hoping to get rewarded is not a winning approach to managing your career.

You have to run two races – strengthening the skills you have, while mastering the skills you need. And be known for it!

Me Inc.

Your ability to authentically differentiate yourself is essential to your success. After all, in a crowded marketplace, if you don’t stand out, someone else will.

According to a 2018 CareerBuilder survey, 70% of employers use social media to screen candidates during the hiring process, and 43% of employers use social media to check on current employees.

“All of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.”

– Tom Peters

Are you standing out based on your market relevance, reputation and relationships? If not, it’s time to get out of the slow lane and get future-ready fast.

The Five Keys

Here are the five keys to help you remove roadblocks, accelerate your success and unleash momentum:

1) Clarity

Are your primary skills and personal brand aligned to future demand?

Your job title describes your responsibility, not what makes you remarkable. Align what sets your soul on fire with the biggest opportunities in the future. Position yourself in the right spot to catch big waves and ride market trends. Build your personal brand on a foundation of authenticity, passion and purpose. People believe in you when you believe in yourself.

2) Courage

Are you taking risks and embarking on new challenges in order to level up? 

Take intelligent risks without letting fear hold you back. Apply cutting-edge techniques that stack your successes and teach you to fail-forward. Confidence grows with consistent actions and continuous progress. Build the habit of taking action despite your fears, so you can turn your barriers into breakthroughs.

3) Conviction

Do you have a systematic method to keep learning and adapting?

Anticipate change so you can prepare for it and adapt quickly. Apply strategies to shed old beliefs that prevent you from accepting change and learning new skills. Unlock your curiosity with techniques that help you predict patterns and navigate through uncertainty with confidence. Celebrate progress not just achievement.

4) Commitment

Are you focused on the right thing at the right time? 

Define your own goals and priorities, rather than simply being led by goals defined by your employer or business. Translate your vision into an actionable roadmap that drives your daily focus. Develop annual and quarterly milestones that inspire and excite you every day. Master the art of focusing on the right thing at the right time for the right reasons.

5) Community

Do you have a community that catapults you forward?

The fastest way to change your results is to change who you surround yourself with. Develop an ecosystem that helps you achieve bigger, better results with less effort and more joy. Foster empowering relationships that help you unleash your full potential and build a community that holds you accountable to higher standards.

Momentum Matters

If you answered the questions above and realize you have some work to do, then take action now. Join us at the Beyond Barriers “Get Future-Ready FAST” Live Seminar – an experiential 3-day conference designed to help ambitious women learn digital-age strategies to accelerate success and level up together.

The clock is ticking down to the end of an entire decade. In a world that’s moving fast, you cannot afford to stand still or adapt slowly. After all, it’s no longer just about the survival of the fittest. It’s the survival of the fastest.