This video is an introduction to Ray Kurzweil’s newest project: The Singularity University.
In 2005 Kurzweil published his seminal work, The Singularity is Near. For Kurzweil the Singularity is that point where we are able to transcend the limitations of our biology through our science. I read this book slowly and in detail. I was left with dozens of pages of notes, and a jaw-dropping appreciation of his Vision.
Over the next couple of months, I will be covering his books, and his thought in depth. For now suffice it to say that I believe he is one of the most extraordinary minds of this, or any century AND that his Vision of the Future is as important as it is stunning.
Speaking of Kurzweil Bill Gates of Microsoft had this to say: “Ray Kurzweil is the best person I know at predicting the future of artificial intelligence. His intriguing new book envisions a future in which information technologies have advanced so far and fast that they enable humanity to transcend its biological limitations—transforming our lives in ways we can’t yet imagine.”
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Below are links to Kurzweil’s books “The Singularity” and to “Transcend.” They are Amazon links so I hope you buy a bunch of copies but even if you don’t, just go to the library and read both books both closely. They are important. “The Singularity” shows a vision of a very possible near future and “Transcend” can literally save your life if you are a Boomer with medical issues.
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The military and business management gurus seem to pretty much agree on a standard set of planning principles. They are:
Vision
Strategy
Tactics
Execution
Seems pretty good doesn’t it? Get a Vision of where you want to go. This is the goal, or the outcome you want to achieve. Then outline a basic Strategy. The Strategy outlines how you are going to achieve the Vision or Goal. Next come Tactics. Tactics are the specific actions that you need to take to make the Strategy happen. . The final step is the Execution. Here Nike said it best, “Just Do It.”
Have you ever done this? Did you notice that by the time you get the plan done, if you get it done, the world has moved on? What happens if the target is moving swiftly? Today, it seems like everything is moving too fast for this model.
Watch the real Masters of getting things done. They Vision what they want to accomplish. Then they do it. They may plan each day or week with an action list. They may even use Strategy and Tactics planning, but they use those quickly and with flexibility. They focus on knowing where they are going and getting it done. At most they spend 5% of their time in planning. They spend the rest doing.
My weakness is planning. I love the process of planning, and that is a weakness.
“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.” (Albert Einstein)
Does it ever feel like everything is happening all at once? Or maybe that it should, or needs to. I “get” that feeling. It happens to me sometimes. This feeling means that your priorities have slipped; that you really don’t know for, sure and certain, what comes next.
Everyone says that we have so much going on today; that we are all so very busy. Well, I have news for you; we humans have always been too busy. Imagine caring for a family of 7 with no running water. Imagine plowing the field, that feeds your family and doing it on foot, with a horse. Imagine hand-spinning the cotton, to make the fabric, to sew the dress that your daughter needs.
We human always have too much going on. That is because we are creative. We can always think of more to do, than we can do. Focus on your mission. Why are you here? What is your Purpose? What is your Mission?
Maybe yours is to raise your family well. Maybe yours is get that Black Belt or to write that book. Maybe today’s purpose is to get that paper done, or plan that trip.
Know your purpose of the Moment, and work to find the Mission of your Life.
When you find these, you will find your time.
H. Jackson Brown author of Life’s Little Instruction Book said, “Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”
I believe there is an “Internal Command to Rise” in all of us. It is built into our bones. It is the essence of our soul. We have a single choice. Live it or Ignore it.
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