Avatar set not to open your presents?
He knocks on the door. Silence. He steps into his son’s room quietly. The boy, headset on, doesn’t notice until the father waves an audio override.
- It’s time to get some sleep, young man.
The boy takes off the headset, visibly upset.
- But my friends are still playing with all the presents they got!
- I know it feels unfair, but Emeans and Apacs live in a different time. Some of your friends live on the other side of the world, so their morning is our bedtime. You have an avatar to keep playing while you rest here.
- But I want to open my presents in person.
- Avatar set not to open your presents?
- I guess?
- So those are for you to enjoy when you join everyone in the morning. You’re lucky to have friends all over the planet. When I was your age, we only played with friends in the neighbourhood.
The boy surrenders in shock.
- That’s sooo weird.
- I know. But that was a long time ago.
- Before Sparktanks defeated Astrokongs? Vira got an extended timeline and invited us to play the whole campaign!
He smiles, tucking his son into his bed. He sits beside him and strokes the boy’s hair.
- I’m not sure when that happened, but you have the whole day tomorrow to figure this out.
- Dad, what will you tell my class about your work after the holidays?
- It’s a surprise, but if you can keep a secret…
- Of course I can! Tell me, tell me.
- Well, in that case. I will be talking about cycles.
- Cycles?
- Yes. Because everything is a cycle. Day and night. Seasons in a year.
- My birthday?
- Yes, we can call the time between your birthdays a cycle. The beauty of each cycle is that eventually, it starts over again, but this time with everything that happened during the previous cycle.
- But how is that related to your job?
- When I was young, a computer was just a machine; even before that, it was a job title for people who did maths by hand.
- Woah! That was definitely before Sparktanks defeated Astrokongs!
He chuckles softly, playing with one of his son’s toys.
- As machines got smarter, we called them computers. Eventually, those machines were everywhere, and the calculating power they provided became something you could buy or sell, like energy. That’s called compute.
- And then what?
- So, ‘computer’ as a job became a name for a machine, which in turn became so popular that what it does became a tradable resource, which eventually created your father's job title. I’m a Compute Trader helping big companies or small inventors get complex calculations on time.
- That’s so awesome. My class is going to love this!
- That’s not everything, but you have to go to sleep now.
The room's ambience dims as he kisses the boy's forehead and leaves. He heads downstairs, the cheerful hum of holiday music guiding him back to the living room, twinkling with the lighted tree.
- Do you want a drink?
- Only if it’s hot.
He makes himself comfortable on a sofa.
- Excellent choice. I just made some mulled wine to match the movie vibe.
- Can you give me five more minutes? I need to check on my friends in the forest.
- Please don’t tell me you’re working now.
He winks at her.
- Better than working. I’m gambling.
- Fun, huh? Can I join you?
- Do you have any liquid assets?
- Is mulled wine liquid enough?
- Let me put it on the screen.
The main screen lights up with a mosaic of live maps, charts, and infrared feeds from a snow-covered forest. She’s back with the drinks.
- So what are we betting on?
He points at the main screen.
- Most national parks have sensors and tiny cameras throughout the protected forests. During winter, we have to guess which animals will appear at each feeding station every night. How many, what kind, or even if they will argue over the food. The data helps park rangers understand animal patterns, so it’s not just a game. We’re actually helping Mother Nature.
- By turning natural preserve into a casino.
He sips the wine cautiously.
- Maybe, but it’s a way to raise funds for those animals, the data helps researchers, and I’m doing great this season.
- It’s still gambling.
- Not really. It’s all done with tokens our company gets from the wildlife authority. Each of us got one million tokens as a tiny holiday gift. The company leaderboard is public, so we can have fun outsmarting each other for a good cause.
- It’s still gambling.
- Wait until you see the official leaderboard…
- Oh, wow. You know your stuff.
His voice turns cinematically deep.
- This is my forest.
- Looking at your stats, I expect you will start making wolf noises before the snow melts.
He howls like a wolf.
- Shhh, crazy. You’ll wake everyone up.
Hello Practical Futurists,
Welcome back from the future, where avatars keep playing while children sleep and forests have their own casinos.
Hit the "Like" button at the top or bottom of this page to inspire others and help them discover the stories you've enjoyed.Good leaders don't just wait for the future.
They help to create it.
Thank you for your continuous support and dedication to envisioning a better future with us.
Let's dive into our weekly workout, where we use futures thinking and product sci-fi to build a future-proof mindset.
To spark your imagination, we'll start with an inspiring quote:
"Play is the highest form of research."
Albert Einstein
Let's connect this story to your personal life to make it more relatable and engaging.
Personal life reflection prompts:
What 3 childhood experiences have shaped your perception of technological progress today?
Which cycles in your life provide structure while allowing growth?
Which latest facts from your field would surprise your colleagues from a previous generation?
In what 2 ways can you turn serious responsibilities into engaging experiences?
That was great!
Let's fire up your thinking to the organisational level now.
It’s time to explore professional applications in the context of the industry, team, service, or product you're working with.
Professional life reflection prompts
What cycles have you observed in your career evolution?
How might your organisation transform compliance tasks into engaging experiences?
What traditional roles in your industry are evolving into new forms?
What 3 strategies would you use to introduce competitive elements to improve your team's engagement with serious tasks?
How do you maintain team cohesion when members operate on different schedules?
What 2 opportunities for innovation does seasonality provide in your industry?
Which seemingly serious processes could benefit from more playful approaches in your current organisation?
You did amazing! That’s everything we have for today.
Leaders with bold ideas move our world forward. Thank you for expanding your imagination with us.
Think bright, and amazing things will happen.
Pawel Halicki
Make Practical Futures work for you in 2025
Don’t forget to take the two-minute survey. Your feedback is invaluable.
Futurise the festive spirit with previous holiday specials:
Do you want stories like this in your inbox?
Join strategic imagination workouts that inspire change-makers in market-leading organisations, including Visa, Deloitte, Barclays, UEFA, Nielsen, Morgan Stanley, and many more.