As the end of the year looms closer, it seems every ad is being more dramatic and announcing not only a new year ahead, but also the close of one decade and the start of another. It feels more significant to say this, but the more I thought about it, the more I wondered what more impactful changes that a new decade really brings. Here are some quantifiable ways to measure what a ten-year span means for us:
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New Styles
If each season brings new fashion, then a year has 4 new rounds of clothing styles. That means a decade will show you 40 new seasons of fashion trends. Most fashions recycle every 20-30 years, so that means we’ll see styles we’ve seen before, just as we are today.
Political Turmoil
No one thinks it’s polite to talk about politics with those you still want to be friends with at the end of the evening. Yet with the 2020 election barreling toward us and more Democratic debates on the calendar, we can’t really escape it. Ten years is 2 ½ presidential terms. That’s at least one new president, if Trump gets reelected and then in four years we see another president, and they get reelected, too. However, it could also be three presidents’ worth, depending how the voting goes.
Workout Regimes
One of the biggest New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight, or get in shape. If you joined a different gym every year for ten years, that would be ten different gyms. Make sure that you’re getting in shape for you and your health goals, not to compete with the celebrities and magazine covers you see in the grocery store. Compare yourself to something real and set attainable goals, or you’ll only get discouraged.
Technology Shifts
The iPhone turned ten years old in 2017. In those ten years, there had already been 15 different models. With the roll out of the iPhone 11 recently, that would put us at the iPhone 26 by the time ten more years have gone by. Imagine the technological possibilities in a decade: we are already talking about flying cars, all-electric cars across the board, and self-driving cars. With platforms like Uber, Airbnb, Turo, and charter flight apps, you can hire a taxi, stay overnight, rent a car, or fly in a private jet without actually paying a cabbie, stopping at a hotel, visiting Enterprise, or owning a plane. The world is our oyster, if only we dream big enough when it comes to computers and tech developments.
Lengthy Relationships
Our recent anniversary has me marveling at how fast the years fly by. In ten years, our relationship will be more than twice as old as it is now. Think about your years with your partner: what will ten years mean for you?
College Kids
You only have about 18 years with your kiddos. Ten years is about half that. How old will they be at the end of the next decade? Who do you know that’s in college? Ten years is around two college degrees. Who will be graduating soon? Who will be graduating by then? Does that make you feel old?
Time Comparisons
No matter how you look at it, ten years is a more significant time period than one. Ten years is nearly half of 25 years. It’s ten percent of a century. It’s one percent of a millenium. As you reflect on the upcoming changes and how your world will change with the advent of a new decade, try to take time for meaningful changes and reflections. There are all kinds of ways to set goals and make resolutions, but make sure yours meet your needs.
Be sure you’re following A Wild Lass on IG and Twitter as we head into the new decade so you get all our 2020 tips and tricks.
*Disclaimer: Some of the links you see may be affiliate links. All that means is if you click through and end up making a purchase, I’ll earn a commission.