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Now that I’m a grandfather with many years under my belt, I like to think about big picture types of things. For instance, what type of future do I want for my granddaughter, her children, and beyond? What kind of opportunities do I want for my granddaughter, her children, and beyond?
How do we make for a better future? To begin to answer that question, we need to define what we mean by “better”. My answer to “better” is:
I know is sounds like pie in the sky thinking. But I think it’s possible. I think we can achieve it if we envision it and take action to make it a reality. There’s the old adage, “If you fail to plan, plan on failing.” So, let’s plan on creating a better future.
How do we start? We start with creative thinking and asking question. Questions like:
To me, the primary topics for a better future are:
As for what’s holding us back, I believe that there is too much focus on “the now” and “immediate personal gratification”. Another way of putting it is too much of “me, me, me, now, now, now.” I’m guilty of it. I want things now. I want to know how things affect me. I want to know what I get out of things. I believe that’s part of human nature. For me, I don’t want it to control everything I do. I can step out of the “me, me, me, now, now, now” and put energy into thinking about the future, planning the future, and working to make it a reality for all; not just me.
I also believe too many businesses are “now” focused. They need to have a good quarterly report so the stock price holds or increases. Executive contracts are often three to five year terms, with bonus structures for “now” performance. This makes planning for a future that is more than five years out non-existent.
Our government seems to be very “now & me” focused. I am not a political expert. I’m not privied as to what goes on behind the scenes, and I don’t read every article about our government. So, I can only comment from my perspective. To me, our elected officials think in terms of their next election, which is 2, 4, or 6 years, and they spend more than half of their time in office working on getting reelected.
Also, there are government regulations that force decisions based on cost rather than good long-term business practices. Computers are good example. According to Moore’s Law, the speed and capability of a computer would double every 2 years. So, a two year old computer has ½ of the speed and processing capabilities of a brand new computer; a four year old computer has ¼ of the speed and processing capabilities of a brand new computer; and a six year old computer has 1/8 the speed and processing capabilities of a brand new computer.
A computer that is 50 years old is 33 million times slower than a new computer and has 33 million times less processing capabilities than a brand new computer. The IRS, the defense department, and Veterans Affairs department all have computer systems that are over 50 years old. The transportation department and the commerce department have 46 year old computer systems and homeland security has a 39 year old computer system according to a 2016 article entitled, “Here are 10 of the Oldest IT systems on the Federal Government”. To me, that’s biting off the nose to spite the face planning and actions.
As for what we can do, we can talk about a better future. We can talk about what that would look like 5 years from now, 10 years from now, 20 years from now, 50 years from now. That will help shape the objectives for the future and then we can plan on how to achieve the objectives.
This blog doesn’t even scratching the surface of what needs to be done, but it’s a start. The more we work together, the more positive we are about the future, the more likely we’ll create a better future.
About Me:
I am the CEO and Founder of Athalonz, LLC., I am a founding partner of the patent boutique law firm of Garlick & Markison, I am a survivor of child abuse, and I am an inventor on over 300 patents.
About Athalonz:
Athalonz is a technology company based on Mesa, AZ. It develops and sells athletic footwear, which incorporates its patented technology that leverages the laws of physics to improve athletic performance. Website: athalonz.com
About G&M:
Garlick & Markison is a patent law boutique firm that assists clients in building a patent business within their business using proprietary tools and techniques. Website: texaspatents.com
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Today was a good bit of climbing. A little over 2,000 feet of elevation gain. Not as much as day 1 or day 2, but not trivial. I am really enjoying traveling through the small towns. The people have been friendly, the service has been good, and the food has been excellent.
