Each year’s TED conferences produce informational gems that can fuel great business brainstorming as well as inspiration for personal growth.  This year’s takeaways were no different. Here are 5 on how the future of work is changing and what you can do to embrace it.

  1. Reconsider your golden years. Economist Robert J. Gordon suggested that with the increase in life expectancy, a raise in retirement age could help with economic improvement. Since Americans are already putting in extra years, the change is already happening.
  2. Find a job in finance. Because banking and finance jobs pay well, the theory is that those with higher salaries can contribute more to charities.
  3. Get up out of your chair. According to corporate strategist Nilofer Merchant, people sit for roughly 9.3 hours a day, contributing to health problems such as obesity and cancer. So, stand up, take walking meetings and be more active in the office whenever possible.
  4. Beware of the robot – guard your paycheck. As jobs become obsolete due to automation, economic policies need to change as well to protect our economy. Andrew McAfee, principal research scientist at MIT’s Center for Digital Business recommended a guaranteed minimum income which is already a controversial issue. For more on the matter, consider reading The Failed Welfare Revolution: America’s Struggle over Guaranteed Income Policy by socialist Brian Steensland.
  5. Work, work, work. Oh, and study physics too. Tesla CEO Elon Musk suggested that working a lot sparks creativity. He also said that “when you want to do something new, you have to apply the physics approach. Physics is really sort of figuring out how to discover new things that are counterintuitive.”  So, if you want to stand out in business, he says: study physics.

While all of these may not be feasible or even attractive to some of us, they are definitely food for thought that we can apply to anticipating and embracing change.  Are you adverse to physics? Take an art class to spark your creativity and try something new. Loving your new office chair? Then take the stairs instead of the elevator rather than walking meetings.

Listen, change is inevitable and if we really want to roll with the times, remember: where there’s a will, there’s a way.

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