Four Pillar Friday
Greater Life
As an entrepreneur over 50, your time is just beginning… Live the Greater Life
3 Moneyball Lessons About Progress
It’s 4 Pillar Friday (cue wild celebrations).
And to introduce another seminal weekly roundup of all things Greater Life, the inspiration comes to share three lessons from the unlikely feats of the Oakland As baseball team, as documented in the film starring Brad Pitt, based on the fantastic book by Michael Lewis.
It’s a story of how a bunch of baseball rejects came together to deliver the longest winning streak in baseball history.
Here are 3 lessons we can take about how to make progress in any area of our lives.
1 - Get on base.
If a player can get enough of a hit to get to first base or beyond, the likelihood of the team putting runs on the board skyrockets, so the As focused on players who other teams had overlooked, but who had a canny knack of getting on base.
What this means for you is that whatever your project or thing to be achieved…get started. Take the first step. Get on base.
For us at Greater Life yesterday that meant installing – Digital Access Pass – our new membership plugin to the backend of our website. It’s fantastically exciting what it can offer, but there will be hours required to master it. But yesterday was all about getting on base and getting the installation done.
So…what have you been putting off, perhaps for fear of the learning curve? And what is the smallest first step you can take in the next few days to get on base?
2 - Be as unconventional as you need to be to achieve what you want
The As not only recruited players whom others considered washed-up, or had rejected because of weird techniques (that were nonetheless effective), they even had veteran players work to change the positions they played, long after most considered it reasonable to attempt such a change.
For you, if you’d rather cheese grate your own face than have a ‘morning routine’…if joining the 5 a.m. club sounds like the equivalent of sticking needles in your eyes while bathing in vinegar…cool. You do you. How you get there is not important. Arriving is - especially if you’ve been true to yourself in the process, and therefore likely enjoyed the journey a whole lot more than trying to fit some pre-defined script.
3 - Do what is required
There are times when you may face hard choices. The easy way to progress seems to call you like a siren…but you know that path…it just leads to the same disappointments you're seeking to move away from.
Tough decisions are called for…as was the case for the As – who cut one of their star players mid-season because he was a corrosive element on the culture they were trying to build. Everyone thought the management had gone nuts (see lesson 2), but the decision to do what was required for the good of the team opened up the way for the team to thrive unimaginably.
For you…Are there some decisions you’ve been avoiding putting off? These may not necessarily be things to give up or cut out of your life…perhaps there is an investment you’ve been considering…and have spent countless nights weighing the risks.
Progress seems to offer its greatest gifts when we can meet it just beyond the limit of our comfort. Where we have to find a way to do what is required, becoming in the process a greater version of ourselves.
You know the call you need to make…and the fence is sagging because you’ve been sitting on it so long. You’ve got this.
So there you have it – three lessons from one of baseball’s great stories. I hope they serve you well, and enjoy the rest of another outstanding 4 Pillar Friday – which also makes a great replacement for your Sunday newspaper.
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Monday:?HEALTH
There is a secluded community in Pakistan where the average life expectancy tops 100 and women are said to conceive well into their 70s…oh, and cancer is unheard of among them.
The Hunza are based in an idyllic valley that was a popular off-grid destination for backpackers before 9/11 put paid to any tourism.
Legends say they can trace their origin back to Alexander the Great, but what is certain is that these people have some of the longest life spans of any culture.
So what can we take from their example to help us each live longer Greater Lives?
Tuesday:?HAPPINESS
Oscar has only got one ball ?? I don’t know where the other one is.
It’s definitely not in the Albert Hall ??
It’s possibly somewhere on a beach in Cornwall, although perhaps if the currents are right It’s halfway on its way to China by now ????
But no matter because at least Oscar has one ball ??
Now why are we exploring dogs and tennis balls in an article about systemised happiness?
Well, Oscar’s example allows us to appreciate the simple nature of a system that guarantees happiness ??
Wednesday:?HOME
There is an unwanted artist lurking in the shadows of your home.
Its canvas?
Your walls.
But this is a creation you did not nurture, one that can dampen not only the beauty of your sanctuary but damage your health as well.
This story is about how George's 7-year-old son profited to the tune of ￡111 at the expense of an innocent old man.
In truth though, it’s a story about you…and the hidden gems (literally and metaphorically) that could fuel your enterprising and build your Greater Life.
George owned up to a little dramatic license with the opening sentence – but you could certainly spin it that way if you were so inclined.
The Podcast
领英推荐
Every day, Monday to Friday, you can listen in to George on the daily "CoffeeCast".
At weekends there's a longer "Greater Life Story" to catch up on too
If you're over 50 and have an interesting or inspiring story to share get in touch.
We're booking guests for future episodes right now and would love to hear from you.
The Weekly News RoundUp
Every Friday our pick of the week's news for entrepreneurs over 50 from across the internet and beyond..
Don’t write off older workers. We need their wisdom
Martha Lane Fox reflects on the immeasurable value of experience and wisdom that older workers bring to the table
The Worlds Oldest Battle Rapper
A brilliant story about how Joy France, on turning 60, pledged to try 60 new things.
It led to her trading insults with MCs on the international stage
If you read nothing else this week, read this and watch the video.
Awesome
Hip-Hop at 50
A fabulous photo article showcasing 50 years of hip-hop all the way from the Bronx to London.
Extreme Wild Swimming
Move over BlueTits and BlueBalls. Welcome to the world of cross-country swimming, where cold water fanatics?are pushing their hobby up a gear, linking swimming and hiking in this next-level pastime that's gaining increasing support amongst the over 50s
Boys Need Bins Too
As Prostate Cancer UK calls for legislation to ensure sanitary bins are available in all male toilets patients have described the "horrendous" experience of urinary incontinence, which some men undergo as a result of surgery.
The Infuriating Reason Women Over 40 Are Held Back At Work
Speaker, Author & Ageism Activist Ashton Applewhite shared a great article on LinkedIn this week, written by Monica Torres for the HuffPost about the real reason why women over 40 are held back at work
And Finally
A brilliant story about how 63-year-old Cheryl Hutchins qualified for Team GB in the European Triathlon Championships by accident.
We wish her the best!
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Thank you
Have a Greater weekend