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Inviting the Next Generation to Lead Us Forward
NEXTletter is your practice for shaping what’s next. More than a newsletter, it’s a space to pause, reflect, and experiment. Every other Friday, you’ll get one question, two perspectives, and one experiment — to help you create the future you most want to live in.
Frederik Pferdt
November 07, 2025
Prefer to listen 📻 > click here.
In Warsaw, I was interviewed on stage by a high school student in front of 46,000 students across Poland. It was his first time. We were both nervous.
His first question: “When you were our age, what were you up to?”
I paused… and then said: When I was your age, I sat in the last row of the classroom. I had low confidence. Low courage. But high curiosity. I didn’t know what I wanted to do.
I just kept experimenting, making mistakes, and slowly learning who I was becoming.
Then he asked: “Have you ever been afraid of the future? What do you tell your kids about theirs?”
Yes — many times. Especially when I left my job at Google after 12 years. But fear didn’t mean I was failing. It meant I was growing. And I tell my kids: Your job might not exist yet. And that’s the good news. It means you get to invent it.
That conversation reminded me: The next generation is not waiting for a map. They are already asking better questions.
Are you interested in working with Dr. Frederik on your future vision. All details here.
ME·TREAT Do you currently have time for yourself? |
ONE QUESTION
What if the most powerful way we shape the future is by letting the next generation show us how?
Use FUTUREREADY as your code and get 50% off our online course “Your 8 Days Future-Ready Mindstate Training” here, Future Creator!
You can also share the code once with someone you love or care about and who you think might need it. Just forward the link or the email.
TWO PERSPECTIVES
1️⃣ A New Compass for Success My kids don’t dream of private jets or corner offices. They thrift their clothes, experiment with plant-based recipes, and talk about dancing, sports and well-being as a core value, not a luxury. Their version of “the good life” isn’t about climbing ladders but growing roots in meaning, connection, and care. For a generation that grew up during climate anxiety, pandemic uncertainty, and algorithmic noise, success isn’t defined by accumulation. It is defined by alignment. They are teaching us that living future-ready doesn’t mean sprinting toward a predefined goal. It means living with intention now. And as my colleague and friend Professor Suzy Welch’s research at NYU shows, many of them are guided by three inner values:
| 2️⃣ Tech-Savvy and Tender-Hearted This generation is growing up with AI at their fingertips and infinite content in their pockets. They scroll fast but feel deeply. They are learning to code and meditate, to remix memes and reflect on mental health. Yes, they can navigate AI faster than most adults. But what is more powerful? Their emotional fluency. They ask deep questions. They talk about climate anxiety. They crave connection, not likes. And yet, despite being the most digitally connected generation, they are also among the loneliest. The constant hum of content often drowns out their deeper need to be seen — not just followed, but truly felt. They are teaching us that being future-ready isn’t about more technology. It is about more humanity. They are not waiting for the world to change. They are quietly and bravely changing it already. |
ONE EXPERIMENT
The Future Friday Flip
Pick one Friday this month. Let a young person in your life — your child, student, niece, neighbor — teach you something. It could be how to use a new app, make a vegan snack, or rethink what “rest” means.
Flip the roles. Be the learner. Be curious, not correct. Be moved, not just impressed.
And then… ask them what future they want to create. Really listen. That might be the most important question you ever ask.
1:1 Future Being Coaching
If you’re ready to not just travel to places - but travel into the next version of yourself - my Future Being Coaching is for you. In this 1:1 program, we explore who you want to become, uncover the inner and outer blocks keeping you from that future, and design concrete steps so you can live it now. It’s for people who don’t want to wait for change to happen - they want to shape it.
On The Podcast
We all grew up learning the rules—how to fit in, follow the path, stay safe. But what if, at some point, the most responsible thing we can do… is break a few? In this week’s episode of The Future Is HOW, I sit down with Sam Conniff, author of Be More Pirate, to explore why rebellion—done with purpose—might just be the most creative act of all. Together, we talk about courage, discomfort, and what it really means to rewrite the rules for a better future. 🎧 Listen to The Future Is HOW with Sam Conniff. |
With future love,
Frederik
P.S.:
Use FUTUREREADY as your code and get 50% off our online course “Your 8 Days Future-Ready Mindstate Training” here, Future Creator! You can also share it once with someone you love or care about and who you think might need it. Just forward the link or the email.