Recently I was listening to NPR’s Science Friday where guest Ray Kurzweil was suggesting that in as little at 20 years, nano-sized computers would be in our bodies, augmenting our minds with the entirety of the knowledge on the internet that would be accessible immediately.

This got me thinking — we are practically already there with smartphones.  Anything we ever need to know can be quickly searched and learned.  In my mind, this levels the playing field of brainpower for the entire world.  So now that we are in the future already, what can be done to set yourself apart from everyone else who knows everything also?

Like G.I. Joe says, “Knowing is half the battle.” I have a few ideas on the other half of the battle: how to stay relevant as an individual.

– Be able to create new information. This means thinking about existing knowledge and take the next logical thought step. This could also mean testing an idea to discover something new.

– Be someone who takes action.  Given that one should have the ability to be completely informed when making a decision, it is the people who actually make a decision and follow through with a plan that will differentiate themselves. This could also include helping someone else take action on their decisions. (This is something I wish for all the time!  I want a company that will produce all of the crazy products I think up!)

– Be able to condense and explain information.  People will not want to wade through unlimited information just because they can.  Be the expert and tell someone exactly what they need to know to get something done. This will also help other people make decisions and avoid analysis paralysis that comes with all that info.

– Know a lot of people that make stuff happen. Now that you know how to do everything, work with other people to do it better!

– Be entertaining.  This will never go away.

– Make something beautiful. People will have more time to appreciate art if they don’t need to fill their brains up with other nonsense.