Social-media influencers push self-improvement trends year-round: The spring has " glow up" challenges, as does the summer. Soon after, the high-discipline " Great Lock-In Challenge" and " Winter Arc" videos begin, many of them urging people to get ahead of the "new year, new me" crowd. Or you can attempt a slew of other self-betterment regimens, whenever the spirit calls.
When I retire, I will reply to every email I've ever flagged. (tapping on keyboard) I will clean up my desktop. I'll read the 35 years of saved articles on my reading list. I will finish all those books I started. I will play the lifetime of computer games I missed out on. (gaming noise) I'll birdwatch. I'll learn magpies are beautiful - but terrifying.
most of them aren't interested in hustle culture (no billionaire or girl boss worship) or stereotypical self-care (no bubble baths or candles). They don't need a makeover or a glow-up. They have a drive to grow and to better understand themselves, to become more effective problem solvers, and to become more insightful. They care about high standards and high performance, but they have complex lives that don't revolve around just themselves or any one goal. They're seeking a less cringy era of personal growth.
Recently someone offered me a couple of books on the spiritual healing arts from a respected author—for free. It was the kind of offer I once would have responded positively to, taken them gratefully, and brought them home to sit on my "to be read" shelf. Maybe I would have tried to read them, maybe I would have even completed them. Instead, what I heard myself saying, with unusual frankness, was, "No thanks. I'm sick of self-improvement."
During an interview on Stripe's "Cheeky Pint" podcast, published Monday, Tobi Lütke said he enjoys trying out the hobbies of people he admires. He said he started racing cars after visiting the track with friends, for example, and "immediately fell in love" with it. The German-born entrepreneur has competed in the Rolex 24, a sports car endurance race held at Daytona in January, among other competitions.
Our world is obsessed with authenticity. As I illustrate in my latest book, we want authentic brands, authentic leaders, authentic influencers, and authentic products. "Authenticity" is slapped on labels from organic food to handmade soap to political campaigns. On social media, being "raw" or "real" is the ultimate currency. Even at work, organizations urge us to "bring our whole selves" to the office, as though that were always desirable for anyone involved.
In mid-August, social media started buzzing with posts about "The Great Lock In." As the name suggests, it's built around the Gen Z slang for fully committing or hyperfocusing on a task, goal, or activity. From now until the end of the year, the idea is to "lock in" and to get your life in order and your goals checked off before 2026.
