We spend about 10,000 days working in our lifetime—but are we using them to create real change? Henrike Schlottmann explores how the world’s biggest challenges, from climate change to labor shortages, require collective action, not individual solutions.Drawing from real-world examples—pandemic response, refugee integration, and food system transformation—she reveals how true progress happens when diverse groups unite. In a time when democracy is being tested, she challenges us to rethink how we collaborate and asks: How will you spend your 10,000 days? Henrike Schlottmann is the Managing Director of ProjectTogether, a social innovation platform driving collective action on global challenges like climate change and refugee integration. With a background in mathematics and experience in management consulting, she transitioned to ProjectTogether in 2019, leading efforts to unite diverse groups for systemic change. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx