The Salt and Pepper Years

I was thinking about how our professional perspective changes as we mature. Like most of my friends and colleagues, I am definitely in the second half of my life (and without tossing around clichés about 50 being the new 40) it will suffice to say that I have more professional years behind me than in front of me.

I was talking with an acquaintance today about a difficult business decision pertaining to an investment.  This gentleman is highly-experienced and finds himself trying to rebuild what can best be described as a "start-up". As we talked, he seemed desperate to recapture some previous success that he had once achieved.  He was so credible in his delivery and distinguished with his graying temples, as I listened intently to his examples and his stories.  He discussed his new plans and made various commitments about his willingness to “dig in and put in those 18 hour days”, determined to build something substantial again. I think that hard work is commendable, although these plans seemed a “mismatch”  for someone with his experience and impressive resume.  I asked him some questions about how he might leverage his experience in a broader and more financially beneficial way.  His circumstances certainly invite him to look at things from a new angle. This conversation had me reflecting on my own perspective and how it has evolved.  The more I thought about it, the more that I realized that I see similar shifts in others who are also at my stage of life.

Here’s  are some profound perspectives from my most senior and most accomplished counterparts: 

• They let go of the romantic notion of re-creating something they have previously achieved. They appreciate that they are different than they once were and that their personal evolution could introduce a new definition of success, never before explored.

• They look for opportunities to monetize their life experience and their developed skills in new and sometimes unconventional ways.

• They know that capitalizing on opportunities sometimes requires; that they approach things in a new way, come at challenges from a new direction, or develop a new model.   They look for new methods and resist the instinct to simply dig in and work harder and longer when the going gets tough.

• They allow the wisdom of their experience to guide their decision-making. They trust their gut and understand the key influences that have brought them success and failure in the past.

Time is a wonderful teacher leaving us with agility, resilience, wisdom and patience.  I am appreciating the wisdom these days!