Turning 70

It’s a common misconception that we slowly lose our intelligence and ability to think effectively as we age. But research has shown that this is not the case at all. Instead, as we get older, we tend to become wiser and more efficient thinkers.

As we get older, we often find that we have more wisdom than we did when we were younger. We’ve made more mistakes, and we’ve learned from them. We know what works and what doesn’t. And we’ve had time to reflect on our choices and the consequences of our actions.

Turning 70 is a milestone that allows me to reflect on wisdom and how we can use it to make wise decisions. Just because we’re getting older doesn’t mean we must slow down. And, as we age, we have the chance to use our wisdom to help make better choices about how we spend our time and whom we spend it with.

This is a big week for me.

I’m turning seventy this week. You might have even figured that out by the subject line in this email.?

I went by fifty and sixty without a thought. Seventy is a whole different ballgame, at least for me. So, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about what turning seventy means.

I keep hearing that seventy is the new forty. I have news for you, and it’s not. It’s not even the new fifty or sixty. It’s a whole different thing. There are good things about it and not-so-good things. Let’s take a look at each.

A question for me is how to stay relevant.

This is one of those not-good things. When I go to meetings, I’m now in the older group, meaning there might be one or two people my age or older, but rarely more.

For the most part, the folks who are younger than me aren’t obvious about ageism, and it’s still there. I’ve realized there’s not much I can do about where people start in their thought process; it’s where they are after they spend time with me.?

This means it’s up to me to make a difference. If I want to stay relevant, I have to ask, what do I do to make this happen?

It might take a little longer to do tasks, and decisions are a whole different thing.

This fits under frustration. I often become frustrated because what took me ten minutes now takes me a bit longer.

Decisions are a whole different thing. I find that it’s easy for me to figure out what the right thing to do is. Because I’ve lived a lot of years and made lots of mistakes, I’ve had the opportunity to learn from the mistakes I’ve made.

When I add in the books I’ve read, the seminars I’ve gone to, the companies I’ve worked with, and just plain old life experiences, it seems easier to think about the right thing to do in any situation.

As you age, I want you to think differently about what you bring to the party.

As you age, it’s not about the volume of work that you do. It’ll be less than when you were fifty. So instead, I want you to think about the wisdom you bring to your work.?

Wisdom is something we need more of in the world. Too often, we’re in a rush to get things done.?

One of my favorite sayings is, “go slow to go fast.” I know this sounds counterintuitive. I want you to think about this statement for a minute. After that, hit return and let me know what you think about the idea.

Here’s my take on it. When I go fast, I make mistakes and must do my work over again. When I take my time and do it right the first time, the whole process goes faster with more satisfaction. Isn’t that something you would like to have in your life?

This is what I’m doing to take advantage of turning 70.

I do like my lists that make life easy. Here’s one you might find helpful for you:

1. Embrace aging. This is a bit harder to do as you get older and complaining about getting old will do you no good.
2. Instead of focusing on tasks needing action, focus on systematic thinking that forces you to see the big picture. It’s one of the reasons I believe business owners never really get it till they turn fifty.
3. Be brave about aging and celebrate what you bring to the party. The world needs lots of your wisdom.

Remember, it’s about wisdom and not volume.

I hope you can lose your frustration about the speed you get tasks accomplished. Instead, I hope you can focus on the wisdom you bring to the party. First, be proud of all the things you’ve learned in your life. Then, I want you to celebrate and share your knowledge with those who count in your life.

What do you think about aging, speed of movement, and the wisdom you bring to the party? Spending a few minutes thinking about this would do you some good.?

That’s about it for my thoughts for the week. What’s on your mind? Have a great week.