If two words could sum up 2008, they would be "economic uncertainty." Uncertainty has hung over the globe all year like a black storm cloud. And it's safe to say that the cloud has burst: The worst rich-world financial crisis since the Great Depression hit Wall Street in September, driving volatility in the world's markets and greatly intensifying consumer anxiety. Not surprisingly, in our fourth annual year-end forecast of trends for the near future, the economy is a common thread. Other recurring themes include technology and the environment.

Reflecting on our past predictions, it's clear that trends with real significance can't be assigned to just one calendar year. The trends explored here in our Work in Progress: 10 Trends for 2009 have significant weight and momentum and indicate shifts that are likely to be with us for a while.

In this trendletter:

• Executive Summary
• Recessionary Living
• Simple Pleasures
• The Energy Race
• The Small Movement
• The Mobile Device as Everything Hub
• Career Reinvention and Extension
• Distraction as Entertainment
• Redistribution of Power
• The Collective Consciousness
• Whatever Happened To... ? (A Review of Our 10 Trends for 2008)

To purchase 10 Trends For 2009, please CLICK HERE.