As I mentioned earlier, in a way it’s been almost 30 years in the making. The writing process is almost always arduous in some way, but the hardest part for me was getting the proposal and structure right for my publisher.
In a sense, the book is timeless, as it discusses the future of work, climate, the arc of history, etc. – all of which have been in flux for a long time. However, suddenly in 2020 “a world in flux” became something everyone could relate to right now, and my publisher started calling. It was finally due for publication in August 2021 when Delta struck, helping me in a way to make my point about the inevitability of constant change. The book is not about getting past change as the fact is that constant change is our future, change is not going away. Some people don’t want that to be the case but there is an opportunity for everyone to reshape change.
Everybody deals with change in different ways. Many people say to me, “but I love change!” But in actual fact people love change that they can control and pick (such as a new job, a new relationship etc). Yet few people like change they cannot control, when they are surprised by it, one that goes against expectations and disrupts your plans. Change is not only a word or a thing, it is a messy and complicated spectrum. There is change we choose and change we are thrown into. With the pandemic, many people have said, “look how well we have done and adapted”! Indeed, humans are really adaptable when we’re forced to… but under these circumstances, it is not enjoyable. The book gives pointers as to how to reshape the relationship with all kinds of change, especially with the kind we don’t choose.