I wrote in an old blog post that Buckminster Fuller created the “Knowledge Doubling Curve”; he noticed that, until 1900, human knowledge doubled approximately every century. By the end of World War II, knowledge was doubling every 25 years. Today, things are not as simple as different types of knowledge have different rates of growth. For example, knowledge of nanotechnology is doubling every two years, while clinical knowledge is doubling every 18 months. However, on average, human knowledge doubles every 13 months. According to IBM, the build-out of the “Internet of Things” will lead to the doubling of knowledge every 12 hours.” That was in 2017. Source
Now it is 2025. What’s happened? According to Chatgpt,
- Nanotechnology Every 2 years
- Clinical/Medical Knowledge Every 73 days (as of 2020, per a study published in the Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association)
- Artificial Intelligence Every few months
- General Human Knowledge 1–2 years (conservative estimate)
So I continued to write:
Here is the problem. Whatever you are great at now will probably come back to haunt you in the future. Even with all the research and studying you can do, you can still feel like you're not quick enough to keep up with all the changes. Notice that I didn't say you're not smart enough. You’re just not quick enough.
Knowledge in your area of expertise is outrunning you at a tremendous pace. Remember that degree you got from college? It may be worthless now. Everything you learned has changed.
Now this is the way I assessed this in 2017.
What do you do?
#1 - Get a reality check. Find a way to assess your skills against your field of expertise honestly.
#2 - Get sober real fast. If you find yourself "behind the curve," you're not dead. But time isn't on your side.
#3 - Get a coach. Someone who will help and encourage you to take the next step, which is...
#4 - ... Pivot. Or, in other words, go from plan A to plan B?
#5 - Get a network. Who is already doing what you want to do? There are professional networks available that are designed to help. You may end up having to create your own. Regardless, you must collaborate with others to make it.
That was good advice in 2017 and it is today. But I am going to add
#6 - Don’t panic. You’re not in trouble as much as you think. Just do #7.
#7 - Get ahead of the curve. This is your superpower. See what is coming and prepare for it now. Please stop trying to fix it today.
#8 - Practice forgiveness and self-compassion. Is this your fault? Maybe. Did someone lead you in the wrong direction? Possibly. Are you so committed to your culture that you wouldn’t change? That’s possible, too. Either way, let go and move on.
I hope that this advice remains valid for 8 years—either way. Today, you’re going to find some wins and keep building on them tomorrow.
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