I no longer remember the last time I folded up a map after using it. Now I follow a blue dot on my phone, trusting satellites and mapping software to get somewhere.
Agents can optimize, execute, research, and produce. They are useful with a destination. Our "work" is in the discovery of that destination.
Looking at that physical map made me aware of what I hadn't asked to see. It allowed my eyes to wander and notice destinations I hadn't planned to visit. Sometimes I'd pick a less direct route just to wander past a landmark I didn't know.
Playing, daydreaming, and spacing out may seem unproductive. But making space for detours can start something that proves itself over time.
Many of us said as kids, "I'm bored," and our parents replied, "Go outside." At first, it looks like doing nothing. But the friction of undirected exploration prepares us for when life takes the map away. Sunsetting a product, working without favorite colleagues, adjusting to a new leader or organizational direction, looking at yourself beyond an outdated job description—it teaches us to sit through uncertainty we didn't choose and metabolize change faster. It feels like being lost, and it looks like learning.
After automation, our job will be to make space for not knowing. Start with a wander, ask questions, and take it all in. That's the way to create destinations worth pursuing. So let's get lost.
