It’s hard to say what the next big thing will be. People in the business of coolhunting and trendspotting only make educated guesses at what the future may hold. The clues are easy to spot if you know where to look and can connect the dots. However observant you may be, the trick is in understanding the trends.

Some people need data, while others seem to hack reality intuitively–connecting pieces, fragments, feelings, and parts of things they see or hear into a new whole that people have yet to perceive.

As exciting as the future may be, the truth is that creating the future starts with what you are doing right now. Whatever trends you may spot can be shifted subtly one way or the other depending on your intent.