The new year is nigh upon us, and as we bid farewell to 2013 we huddle together with our families and begin the momentous task of declaring New Year’s resolutions. The bad news is that they’re always the same: lose weight, be nicer to people (why?), get a promotion at work, yada yada yada. The good news is that in the near future you might actually be able to get some of those resolutions permanently crossed off your list while providing the same mediocre effort towards them as you do every year. Here are four of the biggest ones that the future will make a thing of the past:
1.) The Lose-Weight-Now-Resolution
What’s everyone’s number one resolution for the new year if not to drop a few pounds from the holiday feasting? Get ready for that to be a lot easier some time in the next fifty years. In fact, within ten years we are likely to see a drug that will let you eat whatever you want without losing weight , according to Dr. Raymond Kurzweil. Bring on the sustainably sourced turkey.
2.) The Save-Money-By-Any-Means-Necessary Resolution
Especially these days. Saving money has become the a religion in the twenty-first century it seems, and in the future it will be much, much easier to do so. Imagine yourself being able to drive an electric car for miles on a highway, or, if you prefer to keep your own car, being able to drive farther on better tires and pay for gas without ever even stepping outside. Well ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the future. Almost every cost of owning a car is set to go down in the next few years. Need a new part for your vehicle? It will soon be able to be printed on a 3D printer, saving the company shipping costs and you a little bit of cash. Need new tires, they could be grown in the future by bacteria, meaning resources are less scarce for firms and once again you save a little dough when you get those new tires.
3.) The Wanting-To-Connect-More-With-Nature Resolution
Ever feel like modern society is closing in on you too fast and you need to break free from the synthetic feel of it all? In the future you can feel connected with nature without even having to leave your house. That’s because demand is soaring for bio-walls: living walls made of plants inside your home. Even today you can order these walls at sizes that range from 200 to 500 square feet, but in the near future they will get much, much bigger. People who want more natural living spaces are already ordering these green walls, and while it can’t be proven, some argue they improve air quality inside your home as well.
4.) The Having-More-Fun-At-Work Resolution
Actually, you’re kind of out of luck on this one. The future is offering more ways for your boss to spy on you than ever before! Just imagine a work place of the future where sensors track your every move, robots wander around the building so your supervisor can keep an eye on you, and unmanned drones already being tested that can patrol hallways and keep an eye on workers. It’s the sweatshop of the future! But, at least that resolution about being more productive should be a lot easier to uphold. And hey, the computers of the future office look pretty cool too.
So when you make your resolutions this year, make them with an eye towards the future of the great American experiment. And make them good, too–your boss will probably want to take a look at them.
