Diana Wu David - Future Proof: Reinventing Work in the Age of Acceleration

Copyright 2018 Diana Wu David

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-5445-1359-1

For Alan Wu, without whom none of this journey would be possible.

future - proof

adjective

1. (of a product or system) unlikely to become obsolete.

verb

1. make (a product or system) future - proof .
2. this approach allows you to future - proof your applications

The concept of future - proofing is the process of anticipating the future and developing methods of minimizing the effects of shocks and stresses of future events. This term is commonly found in electronics, data storage, and communications systems.

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How do we stay relevant in this ever - changing landscape? How do we spot upcoming trends that might affect us before we are in the crosshairs of obsolescence and disruption? How do we brand ourselves outside of a corporate role to sustain a contribution on our own terms? How can we find a tribe of our own away from the corporate watercooler? How can we measure our progress without annual budgets and performance reviews?

Were worried. We dont have time. We dont have bandwidth to answer all those calls and messages, not even the one from our doctor who will tell us to lay off the stress and long hours sitting at a desk or on a plane or in a conference room.

We like our work or are at least proud of what weve builtthe skills and credibility. We have a lifestyle we enjoy. We are near the top of the mountain, if not at the summit. And yet, what have we sacrificed? Family? Health? Dreams of making a difference in the world? It seems like a pyrrhic victory, a string of carcasses strewn behind us that negate the true sense of achievement we were hoping to feel.

But people are talking about a hundred - year life. What could we do if we werent doing this job? Who would want to talk to us once that director or doctor or partner title wasnt on our LinkedIn profile or business card?

Where would we start in planning for the future? We dont want to look silly. We dont want to seem ungrateful for all that we have and all that weve been given. But were also scared shitless that if we dont do anything it will leave us vulnerable, our careers at the mercy of the companys board or disruptions in industry over time.

In writing this book, Im making a few assumptions. Like, you have enough financial or career capital to take some risks, even if it means skipping your regular cappuccino. I take for granted that making a meaningful contribution and intellectual stimulation is important; that it would feel great to know you could quit or keep your job, on your terms; that taking a sabbatical, a day, or a week off to get your mojo backor move to paradise full - time for that matterwould be an improvement on the status quo. I am assuming it would give you a deep sense of purpose to know you were making more of a difference again.

If the idea of work and life on your terms brings a sigh of wistfulness, youre not alone. You can wake up excited for the work ahead. The world needs you being creative, innovative, solving problems, building and investing in companies, connecting people, and mentoring the next generation.

You are not obsolete, but you may need to upgrade your operating system to future - proof your career and contributions to create more meaning, joy, and purpose in your life.

Lets go.

Id known my best friend Charlottes husband for fifteen years. He wasnt the social type. I was puzzled when the phone rang in my Hong Kong office and I heard Georges voice. He never called me.

Pressing the phone to my ear, I heard his familiar, steady voice. Diana, I need to tell you about Charlotte.

His voice wavered. Sheshe killed herself last night.

I went cold. Dumbstruck, I felt the blood drain from me.

What? Why? How did it happen? I asked, and again, Why ?

I stared at the computer monitor, seeing nothing. Row after row of emails blurred into a gray, unimportant, and trivial mass. My hands went cold and seemed like they belonged to someone else as they grasped the phone. Panting and dizzy with confusion and heartbreak, I could feel my mind grasping for something to do to keep the world from spinning out of control, but suddenly everything about my neat little office at Financial Times seemed alien.