How old do you feel?..... ‘you’re only as old as you feel’, right?….part 253

When asked that question, most of us tend to give a number which is a good few years younger than our actual age. I certainly feel younger than my chronological age says I am, and I’m sure you do too.

It’s interesting that when we are thinking about ourselves, age becomes just a number and feels somewhat meaningless. However, the positive way we tend to see our own age, doesn’t always translate to how we perceive, or even judge the age of others.

We’re all guilty of it. I’m sure at some point, you’ve unwittingly, and with the best of intentions, said gushingly to an older relative or friend, “you look great for your age” or, at work, perhaps have automatically assumed your ‘older colleague’ won’t know how to use the latest technology – all because their chronological age is numerically higher than your own. Somehow, they are ‘old’, while you assume you are ‘young’. How come?

The world around us, with its prevailing cultural beliefs and social norms, reinforces this harmful thinking every day – even down to the language we’re continuously exposed to.

For instance, in the UK, at the young age of 60, you can apply for an ‘older persons’ bus pass – that’s actually what it’s called, While enjoying your morning coffee, leafing through your newspaper (or scrolling online), you’ll probably be confronted with an array of attention-grabbing headlines including the words ‘pensioner’, ‘elderly’ or ‘senior’ when referring to older people.

It feels as if we are subliminally taught that ageing is somehow negative, something to be endured, something that makes us less capable – both in our personal and our working lives.

Disclaimer: The information on this POST is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional advice. The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this article is for general information purposes / educational purposes only, and to ensure discussion or debate. 

Thank you …I’m sure many of you will be dismayed (and quite rightly so) that the WHO classifies an ‘older or elderly person’ as 65 or older. Most of my friends, family and colleagues, whom, according to WHO, are ‘older or elderly’, are living healthy and fulfilled lives, inside and outside of work. Yes, that’s right, most are still working in some capacity.

In fact, just over a year ago, I suggesting that retirement could soon be a thing of the past.

Why?

 Simply put, there is a seismic demographical shift going on in front of our eyes as we are all living healthier, longer lives. We will have far more time than any other previous generation before us to do the things that fulfil us, both inside and outside of work.

If we start to disconnect age with life stage, as we will all need to start doing as these demographical changes take hold, we will start to understand that “…you could be at university when you’re 60, you could be doing a portfolio when you’re twenty, you could be exploring when you’re 70 or when you’re 17.”

Want to add word or two?

To ensure we really live our longer lives, and that those around us do too, we all, regardless of whatever chronological age we are, need to understand that the number of years we’ve lived so far is not an accurate indicator or predictor of performance, capabilities or skills.

There are undoubtedly substantial changes that institutions and employers alike need to make to tackle the prevailing ageist attitudes faced by people of all ages. But, for the purposes of this blog, I’m going to talk about how I think we can all, on a more personal level, start to challenge some of the ingrained assumptions we may have around what it really means to get older, and what getting older means for our careers.

Your comment ….? 

I’ve voiced my thoughts before around how I think we all need to appreciate that the brain is a muscle – and the research says that the age of the brain doesn’t impact its propensity to learn new things.

We now know that the brain remains plastic forever. We know that your brain creates new brain cells all the time.” Yes, admittedly, we all learn differently, but the key to learning, regardless of age, is to adequately challenge ourselves every day, adopt a growth mindset and practice new skills in order to really master them.

So, don’t assume that with each year you grow older, the less able you will be in growing your skills or keeping pace with emerging technology. The science says that this just isn’t true – as long as you embrace the right mindset.

We believe that getting older means downing tools and slowing down .

Just because you’ve hit a certain age, which is deemed by society to be somehow ‘old’, doesn’t mean that you need to down tools and slow down, in any area of your life. We are all living healthier and longer than ever before, so we have extra time to do the things that fulfil us –– travelling the world, going back to education, or even starting a side-hustle.

 It seems that, increasingly, many are choosing to spend this time at work; according to a study by Kings College London +, one in four retirees in the UK return to work or ‘unretire’, usually within five years of retiring. Plus, the most successful start-up founders and entrepreneurs tend to be middle aged and those aged 60 and older have a 70% success rate.Kongs College London .

To me, getting older is not something to be fixed, endured or avoided. Far from it. Getting older is to be embraced and celebrated, and the ‘extra time’ we all have is a gift to be used wisely and meaningfully.

So, our workforces are getting older. But what are the unique benefits that ‘older’ workers can bring to our businesses?: