“The first half of life is spent in longing for the second; the second half in regretting the first”
Above French proverb signifies an experience that is difficult to gain by any measures. We understand that retrieval of what is lost will not be possible after getting there. But there exists a silver lining in sight for the rest. Let us use it as a genuine warning to carry out disciplinary procedures while there’s still a chance. Better handle the situation now, before moving forward into the next half and end up with repentance.
Ever since childhood, we have seen advisors in various forms attempting to give guidance to our profession. As we grow up to adulthood, it turns out the eventual choice lies with none but ourselves to go after what we long for. No doubt influences play a role to a large degree but let them not be the reason to reconsider our footsteps towards comfort.
Most success stories originated from people who moved off the beaten track and made a path where it did not exist. These exceptional risk-takers had no opportunity for repentance to close in and sweep away their peace of mind in the next phase. But it does not suggest that everybody else is powerless; not by any standards!
We must express our life’s liabilities and assets in terms of achievements and shortcomings. A closer peek at our capacities and demands will be in harmony. We need to decide whether our true goal is to break down barriers or not! We need to examine our careers in the light of fast-evolving technology and analyze future possibilities. The future I’m seeking to defend is not 10, 15 or 20 years from today but the one confronting us right here, right now and running into the years following.
You may want to know what will be transformed so drastically in this brief period. The key lies in continuous changes appearing all around, no matter where we look. Can we ignore the arrival of computers? What do you think about the Internet and the Smart Phone? Life itself is undergoing a drastic reformation.
It took over half a century for the landline telephone to grow into a popular household object in developed countries. Compare it to Cellular telephones that achieved much better acceptance and growth within ten years. Smart Phone has grown into an part of our personality in a still shorter span. We had no inkling what was so ‘smart’ in these gadgets when they first appeared.
The journey from the electrical and gas ranges to Microwave Ovens and Convection Ceramic Top stoves again touched a breakneck speed. Self-driving Automobiles, Trucks and Mass Transit are just round the corner. An enormously powerful change is beating on our doors right this minute. We need to pull out the plugs of ‘I don’t give a damn’ habits from our ears and pay attention before pain appears to settle-in.
Next five years will see hundreds of thousands of jobs eliminated because automation is being given a significant breakthrough by ‘Internet of Things’ better known as “IoT”. Traditional laws of life are in for an extreme paradigm shift with Disruptive Technology leading the attack. Predictive maintenance is fast taking over as the measure to boost production and cut interruption because of machine malfunctions. Manual labor is destined to become a pariah looking for other opportunities. There is opening up a massive opportunity for the front-runners to assume command and find suitable niches in the areas of their choice. Every important industry must prepare to encounter the rumbles, some sooner than the other. The consumer-products market may be the ultimate one to follow the path but it is going to happen, without any ifs and buts, that too within the following 5 years!
Without running into the sharp details, allow me to offer you a curtain-raiser on different jobs waiting in the wings. With Cloud Data Storage on the increase and ‘Internet of Things’ taking deep roots, we are guaranteed to face shortage of workforce in many new professions such as:
Data Processors
Microchip Programmers
Cyber Security Personnel
Network Management Specialists
Drone Operators and Repair Technicians
Robotics Engineers and Service Technicians
Field Staff to sell, install and maintain “IoT” Connectivity devices in Various Segments
An enormous change is on the way, looking at the barrage of Disruptive Technology, Artificial Intelligence, ‘Machine Learning’ et al.
The above observation should serve:
Young Adults
Those Entering Job Market
Individuals Planning Career Change
Middle-Managers That Reach the proverbial ‘Glass Ceiling’
Those Exploring Technology-related Opportunities
The foregoing is a preview of developments beyond imagination that we shall encounter on the road from ‘Cloud’ to ‘FOG’, from ‘Memory’ to ‘Machine Intelligence’, from ‘Human Labor’ to ‘Robotics,’ from the Internet to ‘Internet of Things’ and further on to “Tactile Internet.” This phase will re-calibrate distances and travel time from miles and flight duration to just M I L L I S E C O N D S, yes you got that right: milliseconds!
Are you ready for the change and create a new phrase? “Let There be No Limits!”
My six year old grandson does his homework on an iPad using different apps. I don’t think it would be possible for me to keep up with him. While I am always learning he is light years ahead of me in capacity to learn. While I understand he will have vast knowledge I wonder where he will find wisdom.
Wisdom, my Dear Friend and Guide, comes in two ways: the genes or values you impart and yourself adhere to and second, ever more important, a keen willingness to learn from others’ experiences as no one is going to live long enough to learn them first hand.
It is always an honour and a privilege to see your valuable feedback, Dear Sir! Keep ‘em coming!
Thanks a Million!
Thanks for identifying some new trends that I need to research and learn more about. You’ve compiled a good list for me to hash through. I admit your reference to travel in milliseconds is a bit scary. Having traveled thousands of miles in the air, upwards of 600 mph is daunting in present day.
I think one of the reasons cell phones were quick to market in underdeveloped countries is because they were unencumbered by existing hard wire lines and underground cables. Just my thoughts.
Dear Ms Jane,
Thank You for the valuable thoughts poured out here. I appreciate your logic behind proliferation of Cell Phones in developing countries and also tend to agree with you. However, the concern you have expressed for travel in milliseconds does not involve actual flying at a million miles an hour. Instead, it refers to the ‘Internet of Touch’, the technology being actively pursued right now. By the year 2030, we shall be using the same in our daily lives.
You could be communicating with people in far off places and feel their touch, the warmth and even the perfume/cologne they are wearing at that particular moment.
In any case, you are not alone to raise such concerns. During the last three years of my exhaustive research in upcoming technologies, I have spoken to over 1,000 people in both the U.S. and Canada, from all walks of life and only seen a wide grin when discussing IoT.
This article is just a drop in the bucket, so to say, when compared with the amount of information I am presenting the readers with, in my upcoming book on this subject.
Please feel free to communicate with me in case you need any additional information to substantiate my vision of the future.
Thank You!
Bharat, this is encouraging. I mentioned the list of items to research because I feel like I am falling behind in learning. My remarks are valid. I need a list and you provided one to start with. Thanks again.
Wonderful thoughts, Bharat. This statement is especially thought-provoking: “The future I’m seeking to defend is not 10, 15 or 20 years from today but the one confronting us right here, right now and running into the years following.” Thanks for sharing your perspective. 🙂