The Human+ Mindset

The Human+ Mindset is a practical framework for surviving and thriving in a world transformed by AI, rapid change, burnout, and constant demands on our attention. It combines future-focused skills with everyday practices to help you stay adaptable, resilient, and ready for whatever comes next. 

There are things AI can’t do well.  These are the instincts and intelligence rooted deep in our bodies. In an AI-powered world, your body is your edge.

SCARF (Rock, 2008): The 5 Social Drivers of Human Motivation

• Status – Feeling important or worthy, relative to others 
• Certainty – Feeling confident in my understanding of reality
• Autonomy – Feeling like I have free will and options available to me
• Relatedness – Feeling like I belong and am connected to others
• Fairness – Feeling like things are just and fair, to me and others

MORESO (Parks, 2025): The 6 Building Blocks of Human Performance

• Move – Move your body every day, even if you don't want to 
• (Get) Outside – Experience nature every day, get sunlight in your eyes
• Rest – Get 7-9 hours of sleep every night and learn how to relax
• Eat – Eat real food every day, not too much, mostly plants
• Socialize – Surround yourself with safe, healthy, loving people
• Organize – Keep your digital and physical spaces organized

PALEO (Parks, 2025): The 5 Essential Human Skills

• Personhood – knowing who you are, living authentically
• Adaptability – perspective change, trying new things, failing fast
• Learning Agility – learning and unlearning across the lifetime
• Engagement – collaborating and co-creating with others
• Oral Tradition – storytelling, creating meaning and coherence

Understanding how to work with AI, not just as a tool but as an extension of your cognition, is critical in the future of work. You don’t need to be a software developer to be confident using AI and know when to trust your own human judgment. 

• AI Avoidant: You intentionally avoid using AI, for whatever reason.

• AI Curious: You use GenAI to help you brainstorm or draft content.

• AI Confident: You continually learn about AI capabilities and limitations. 

Career Agility is the ability to build economic resilience and freedom by reducing dependence, generating value, navigating your career, diversifying income, and regenerating the systems around you. 

Together, these practices move us toward Human+ Regenerative Capitalism, an economic model designed to strengthen people, communities, and the planet rather than extracting from them.

REDUCE: Reduce unnecessary expenses, debt, consumption, bad habits, and obligations so you need less money and have more freedom to make choices.

GENERATE: Meet more of your own basic needs through community building and resource sharing, growing food, making things, repairing things, and other forms of Universal Basic Opportunity.

NAVIGATE: Actively design a career path that extends beyond the boundaries of any job title or company by building your skills, relationships, reputation, and opportunities.

DIVERSIFY: Build a diverse income stack through side hustles, independent work, entrepreneurship, rentals, products, and investments so that no single job controls your livelihood.

REGENERATE: Invest your money, time, energy, property, skills, and purchasing power in ways that strengthen your own wellness and resilience, your home, your community, and the planet.