While many are writing about their expectations or goals or thoughts on 2019, I am stuck looking ahead to 2020, or really the decade that will be defined as the 2020s. Too much thought is put into forecasting near term expectations, and not nearly enough time and energy is devoted to thinking about the long horizon. Thus, while other economists and market commentators focus on 2019, I will be discussing my expectations of trends and opportunities for the upcoming decade. Over the next few months, I will release a series of articles focusing on my top ten trends and market opportunities for the 2020s. While focused on the real estate investment and development industries, they are broadly applicable and valuable to most industries and markets worldwide. Before I dive deep into the specific trends and each’s corresponding opportunity, I will summarize my philosophy and underlying belief about the world:

The world keeps getting better and better, yet we think it is falling apart!

If that statement surprised you, shocked you, maybe even angered you, that’s okay. I realize it is provocative and stands starkly in opposition with any mainstream narrative of the media, politicians, academics, pundits, or any other organized group of talkers. It is also unabashedly true. The world is healthier, richer, less poverty stricken, freer, and pretty much better in all measurable ways science can imagine. If you don’t believe me, check out this website called Evidence for Abundance, it is from Peter Diamandis, the author of Abundance, a must read. Also, this amazing TED talk is worth watching.

If you don’t want to follow links and watch YouTube videos, they let me walk you through a simple mental exercise. Zoom back through human history, is there really any other time it was better to be on earth? This is an exercise in perspective, zooming out and seeing the whole picture. To make the best decisions, whether real estate investment and development decisions (my professional domain) or big life decisions like what career to pursue or whom to marry; a long term, fully zoomed-out perspective is important. Better yet, I think you will realize the triviality of the problems or crises of the current day (or at least I hope you will). We, in the most collective sense, have the means to conquer seemingly impossible challenges and create innovative solutions beyond what most think is possible when given enough time. This is true in our personal lives, business lives, and even as nations and peoples.

For 2019, I challenge you to look forward and think in big picture terms. For me, that will be thinking and planning in decades, not months or years. Charge On!