Finding Your Way in an Age of Contradictions
It used to be easy to spot a trend. Do your research and discover which way the wind is blowing. But these days it seems the old weather vane is pointing in opposite directions at the same time. What do you do?
We live in an age of contradictions. Consider a few examples:
• We want bigger AND smaller. 60” plasma TV and 2.5” cell phone. Megachurch and house church. Hummers and Smart Cars. Whoppers and salads.
• We want choices AND convenience. Give me one TV with 500 channels. No wait! Give me one channel and let me pick what I want to watch. Media is fragmenting. Media is converging. One stop shopping is growing. So is niche marketing.
• We want extremes AND balance. We have our Red states and Blue states. But the number of people who consider themselves moderate is exploding. There are more diverse religious groups than ever before. But a recent study in USAToday shows that Americans identify less with any one religious group than ever before.
Research is still vitally important. It provides us with a current map of the ever-changing landscape before us – and helps us adjust our course accordingly.
But I also think chasing down every random trend can be a tremendous waste of energy. Of greater importance is knowing who you are. What you stand for. And charting a path that is authentic, focused, and consistent.
