Feeling anxious about the future? You’re not alone. With headlines screaming about AI, inflation, and geopolitical instability, it’s easy to feel like you’re sleepwalking toward a financial nightmare. The key to surviving and thriving is to stop relying on old models. You must build your future on critical thinking and develop alternative income streams before a crisis hits.

This isn’t about fear. It’s about preparation. For the last 28 years, mentor and author Paul has been helping entrepreneurs navigate these shifts. He accurately predicted the 2008 global financial crisis and has built four multimillion-dollar businesses from the ground up.

In the first part of his new series titled: The Future Of Income, Paul breaks down his framework for what’s coming and what you can do about it.

You can watch the replay of the full presentation here:

What’s Driving This Unprecedented Economic Change?

The world is changing faster than ever. Politically, socially, and economically. But the single biggest driver is technology, specifically Artificial Intelligence. Billionaire Tom Bilyeu, founder of Impact Theory, describes AI as a "meteorite screaming towards earth."

The rate of change is staggering. According to experts, AI's capacity is doubling every six months, a growth rate of roughly 300% year over year. This isn't a distant, sci-fi concept. It’s happening now and is transforming entire industries overnight, leading to mass layoffs as companies scramble to adapt.

How Will AI Really Affect the Job Market?

When asked about AI's impact, Elon Musk’s prediction was blunt. In an interview, he stated, “In 10 years, probably AI can do anything better than a human can. Cognitively, based on the current rate of improvement, AI will be smarter than the smartest human being on planet Earth.”

He predicts a future where goods and services are nearly free, produced by billions of humanoid robots. This sounds great, but it raises a critical question: what will people do?

Musk believes the biggest challenge won't be having enough stuff, but finding fulfillment and a sense of purpose when traditional work disappears. The identity many of us gain from being a provider is at risk. This isn't just about losing a job; it's about losing a core part of who you are.

What Are the Market Signals Telling Us Right Now?

You don't need to be a Wall Street analyst to see the warning signs. Financial markets often reveal the building tension long before it hits the mainstream.

Take the VIX index, often called the "fear index." It measures market expectation of volatility. When the VIX spikes, it means fear is rising. Similarly, sudden, massive sell-offs in "safe haven" assets like gold and silver aren't driven by fundamentals. They're driven by panic as leveraged investors are forced to liquidate.

We saw these fear-based patterns leading up to the 2008 Global Financial Crisis (GFC). The data today suggests something even bigger is brewing. As investor Robert Kiyosaki warns, we could be heading for a crash that will "change a generation."

The real pain isn’t just the crash itself; it’s the aftermath. It’s the huge increase in living costs for electricity, insurance, food, as businesses fight to recover their profit margins from the customers who are left.

So, How Can You Prepare for What's Coming?

In times of change, futurist Alvin Toffler wrote, "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."

This is the core of the strategy. You can't use old thinking to navigate a new world.

1. Shift Your Focus from "Wants" to "Needs": During economic hardship, people cut spending on luxuries to cover essentials. The smart money flows to companies with true pricing power—those that sell things people absolutely need and can therefore pass on rising costs to consumers. Owning a piece of these businesses is a powerful defensive move.
   
   

2. Invest in Your Financial Education: Your biggest asset isn't your house; it's your ability to generate income. Most people who achieve economic freedom think about money completely differently than the average person. They’ve taken the time to unlearn harmful money myths and reassemble their thinking around proven wealth principles.
   
   

3. Become a "Self-Made" Thinker: Data from Fidelity Investments suggests that 88% of millionaires are self-made. They didn’t get lucky or inherit it. They made a conscious decision to become wealthy and took the necessary steps. Paul, the speaker in the transcript, did this himself. At 40, he was a professional potter destined to retire broke. He made a decision, and in just under four years, he became a millionaire by transforming his financial education.

   
   

What Are the Most Valuable Skills for the Future?

While specific technical skills related to AI and green energy are obvious choices, the most durable skills are mindset-based:

• Critical Thinking: The ability to analyse information, spot patterns, and question assumptions without bias.

• Adaptability (Learn, Unlearn, Relearn): The flexibility to abandon old methods that no longer work and rapidly adopt new ones.

• Creativity & Innovation: The entrepreneurial skill of identifying new opportunities, disrupting old patterns, and creating value where others see chaos. As AI handles routine cognitive tasks, human creativity becomes a premium asset.

  
  

Are You on the Lifeboat or Waiting for the Stampede?

Imagine you’re in a stadium with 100,000 people and you get a 10-minute warning that it's about to collapse. Do you calmly walk to the nearest exit, or do you wait for the panic and get crushed in the stampede?

This information is your 10-minute warning.

The coming economic shift will be a "worst of times" for those who ignore the signs. But for the few who take action now—the first movers who get on the lifeboat—it will be the "best of times." You have a choice. Don't get caught in the stampede.