ADAPT OR BECOME ARCHAIC

I used to be a good dancer until COVID-19 happened. It just seems like heavy duty workouts got upgraded to dance steps and dances generally became more mechanical and confusing.

I practically have not been able to keep with the trend, while you are trying to learn one, a new one is already out. My biggest problem is that majority of these dances make you look quite stupid so often times I am torn between stressing myself to learn the calorie burning dances or risking making myself look stupid in public.

Same thing happened with fashion. About 15 years ago, I took a fashion course from a school in Milan and even went on to do extensive research. I could refer to myself as a fashion conscious professional back then. Soon, they started the confusion with colour blocking and the likes. Now they wear stripe on stripe, wear oversized and undersized wears and call it creative.

The narrative I just painted is what a lot of people who grew up in the 90s struggle with. But the real truth is that things are changing and that won’t stop. When I started learning how to code, I wasn’t even proud enough to mention it in public. On two different occasions, I blatantly denied in public that I could build websites because I didn’t want anyone to ask me if I had a degree in computer science but all that’s changed now.

These changes are normal and will continue, we are the ones who need to be open minded and change as things change, else you will end up being an archaic person in a modern world. When we ask people to learn tech skills, they think it is because we want them to switch to tech, you don’t necessarily need to switch. But if you are a tailor who can code, you will be a better tailor. If you are a footballer and you can code, you will be a better footballer.

Our next 20 years will be built on tech, our last 10 years was heavily defined by tech. It is a wise decision if you decide to learn a viable tech skill now. It may not necessarily be that you need to work with that skill, but it is important that you are not left behind.

Don’t treat this as something you will do when you are less busy or have the time, treat it as urgent. Find a good program and pay for it. You can also engage the tons of resources available online. Just make sure you are doing something. Don’t stop or settle.