Succumbing to Wisdom

Sharp as a Tack or Wise as an Owl

We’ve been hearing a lot about a certain elderly man’s “hazy” memory and whether it’s indicative of his ability to continue doing his job. Fact is, regardless of profession or lifestyle, we are none of us immune from a particular kind of cognitive change that strikes us humans way earlier in life than we think.

This change can feel like a decline and many fight hard to resist losing that youthful mental edge, but it doesn’t really work. It just gets frustrating to keep keeping up with the cognitively quick-stepping youngsters we lead, parent or encounter.

The better strategy is to accept the change and embrace a different set of cognitive abilities that will actually grow stronger with age and make our lives more fulfilling and happier. This is succumbing to the wisdom of experience rather than clinging to the fearless creative force of youth. That’s not to say we can’t be fearless and creative as we age. It just has a different quality. Maybe you’ve noticed that if you’re of a certain age.

The Career Legacy of the Wise

Tapping into your wisdom is important whether you choose to cut ‘n run from your career at 55 or emulate those whose career success continues into their 80’s or 90’s. Either way, succumbing to the wisdom of experience will allow you to bring something eminently more valuable to the table.

No question this is a big shift in thinking that can take time, practice and patience so don’t expect instant answers to emanate from your wise core. There will be missteps.

For instance, you may, in the last years of your career, feel driven to work harder, valiantly polishing your professional legacy until it gleams so brightly that no one is likely to ever forget you. This can be a fulfilling pursuit, but unless you’re an historical figure, people likely won’t remember you for your work. In fact, they’ll pretty much have moved on by the time the hangover from your farewell dinner has subsided.

What they’re more likely to remember is how you made them feel and how prepared you left them to take over. This is the legacy left by the wise.

Ask yourself. Will you go out gracefully? Will you mentor, even cheer on, your successors rather than continuing to compete with them? Will you pass on your intellectual capital? Will you ensure your clients have confidence in the new team? Will you make yourself remarkable, memorable by your generosity?

All that demands a generous spirit and a focus on the qualities you want to be remembered for rather than your work. It demands deploying those different cognitive abilities that grow stronger with age. And it guarantees a sense of fulfilment that will have a very long tail.

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