Over 50 - The Best Years Of Your Life

I made a decision when I turned fifty that I was going to make ages 50-75 the best years of my life.

Not that anything in the past had been that bad (in all honesty I have been fairly fortunate,  but life has a way of bringing stress and other factors to the forefront, and enjoying each moment can be allusive at times.

My generation is not like the Baby Boomers and Millennials, our every move is not charted in the media and Generation X has rarely been told how to think at each stage of our lives.  Since I am near the older end of my generations, there were also not many who had turned 50 before me (Plus, I think most of the generational information is bullshit anyway - LOL).  Thus, I was on my own as I crossed this milestone and I decided I would take personal ownership of how I enjoy everyday of my future.

My own story has had good times and bad times (like everyone else), but I was a free spirit in my youth and did not spend much time worrying about money or my future.  There is a lot of personal embarrassment that I was not a good student in college, but on the flip side, it was a really fun time. I embraced joy in my youth that somehow disappeared.  By 25 years old I was marred and at thirty I was a dad. Do not misread what I am saying, there was joy and we have had a good family experience, but I cannot say that fun was my focus during this stage.  Mortgages, career, educating children, and navigating all the other pressures of modern life caused me to be lost in worry and other fears.

But the next phase (and hopefully not the last) is the time for me to reinvent how I deal with everything and make sure that I am going to embrace the experience of life. I have coated my emotions with Teflon so that burnt parts of life can slide off me and not ruin my day.

Alas my proclamation to make this 25 year span the best.  I see too many others worry about crossing that sign post and freak out and think the best times are in the past.  WRONG. I refuse to think that this area of my life is not the one that will bring true delight.  About two years into this new fresh approach and I am less stressed and I simply do not get pissed off at the people around me.  No matter what happens I am at peace with myself.

I am tracking my process and the actions I am taking, as someday there will be others who are turning 50 who will want to make similar changes.  Maybe I will write a book.  In 2030 the Millennials will begin to turn 50, and by that age they will have gotten fed up with how the media has portrayed their generation.  Some will be hungry for fresh ideas to find a similar path and peace in their own lives.  I want to be a friend who can assist others who want to embrace age 50-75.  

What I have learned so far includes these tips:

Five Tips To Make Ages 50-75 The Best Years Ever

1. Stop letting others impact your mood.  A boss, spouse, client, child, sibling, etc... are not actively trying to piss you off.  They are dealing with their own stuff and are simply reacting to the BS in their own life.  Be slow to anger and fast to forgive.  Remind yourself that if others are being jerks, you can still smile. 

2. Schedule fun.  Life does have responsibilities and pressures, but you can carve out a few hours a week to have fun.  Block a 3 hour recurring appointment in your calendar each week and then go do whatever feeds your soul.  Read, paint, workout, go out in nature, etc...  

3. Meet new people.  Jim Rohn said "you are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with each day".  If the people you call "friend" are not feeding your soul, go get new friends.  If you have a person in your life who sucks the joy out of the room with their attitude, purge them from your daily attention.  You need not "fire them" from you life, but you can give them a less important role.

4. Listen to upbeat music. Put your earbuds in and let music get your excited.  Create a playlist of  the most important music of your lifetime.  Look at the chart topping songs from your life and pick the songs that remind you of great times.  A whole list of happy songs that remind you of teens, twenties, thirties, etc... will let you go down the positive side of memory lane.

5. Subscribe to motivational podcasts and blogs.  There is so much content that is available to motivate your to do more in your life, and it is all free.  Read and listen to thought leaders who you appreciate and that speak to topics that inspire you to do more.  

If the idea of making 50-75 the best years of your life appeals to you, send me an email at thom @ ThomSinger.com and let's talk about it. You are not alone in this desire and we can figure it out together.  

Have A Great Day

thom singer 

Potential Is Not Enough

Your sales team needs more than potential. Selling is hard work, and if you company is going to grow this year the people who are responsible for new business development have to be focused.  Many companies struggle year after year with grand ideas of what they hope to achieve, and then get results that are not what they desired.

If your company is wanting to do more this year, you have to get everyone focused on a series of strategic actions that will lead to increased sales.  Potential is good, but potential does not equal results.  The paradox of potential is that many managers think the capabilities of their people are key to moving the needle.  

Nope.

Even in recessions there are companies and sales professionals that excel. Plans, purpose and people are the key to growing sales, no matter what is happening in the economy. 

7 Tips To Sales Success

Plans:

1. Have Goals.  You must know what realistic success is all about and clearly be able to identify the steps needed to reach those goals.

2. Put in the time to execute on the necessary actions. Failure is inevitable without action.

Purpose:

3. Understand your "WHY".  If someone is not clear as to the reasons they come to work each day, they will not succeed.  This is about knowing both a personal "why" and the mission of the company.

4. Know Your Value Proposition.  If you are not clear on what you bring to the client, they will not believe you are the best option to their problem.

People:

5. Network like your future depends on in, because it does.  All opportunities come from people and the better job you do of connecting in your industry sector, the more sales you will make.  

6. Ask for referrals.  Too often people do not tap into the network they have created, and they miss out on additional sales.  People want to help you, but you must let then know how they can have a real impact. 

7. Help others.  If you are always looking for ways to be genuinely helpful, some of the people will reward you with more business.  Too often we think the self-focused people win, but in the long run the giver will succeed.  

Unlock your potential and sell more than ever before.

Have A Great Day

thom singer

Finding Your Path To Potential

Having “high potential” does not mean performing at maximum capability. While many believe they are doing all they can, a huge number of professionals are frustrated because they are coming up short of expectations. There is a paradox of potential that haunts many people in their career journeys. 

There is a real gap between potential and results, and if you want to do more and unlock your potential you have to be clear about what you are trying to accomplish.  Not every bit of potential will interest you in going for the highest levels. I have a daughter who is a great archer, and may have Olympic level capabilities, however she does not want to pursue archery beyond attending classes for fun. We all have many things we are naturally good at that are not our priorities, and that is okay.

But when you want to excel, you have to be clear on the path your want to take and you cannot do it alone.  You need to seek out the right people to help you maximize your potential.  Plans, purpose and people are key to your success.

1. Plans.  Many debate the value of goal setting, but if you want to perform at your highest levels you must know where you are headed.  Knowing the destination is something you would hope for your airline pilot. Those who discredit goals setting would never board a plane with pilot who do not have a plan. Having goals does not guarantee a clear path to all your desires, but without knowing the direction you can easily get lost. Having a goal makes it very easy when you are faced with decisions along the way.  

2. Purpose.  Simon Sinek says it best in his first book "Start with Why".  Much like a plan, Sinek says knowing you why makes it easy to make choices in your career.  Everyone has a purpose.  It is what gets us out of bed in the morning and keeps us working into late hours.  If you know your "Why" you will be get more done and inspire all who you encounter.

3 People.  All opportunities come from people.  In our world where so many are addicted to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media tools, most agree that after a decade of these tools they do not really have more friends.  Some feel they have fewer strong relationships. When you invest in people and cultivate meaningful connections, you will always find more opportunities.  Choosing people and establishing real friendships is paramount to achieving all you can do in your life.

In trying to find you right path, you have to pay attention to where you skills and your ambition overlap.  You must be clear on what you want, why you want it, and seek allies to help you get there. 

In my long and ongoing study of "potential" I am finding the more I examine my own capabilities and the steps I am taking to do more, the more I am able to accomplish.  Never leave success to chance.  Potential is great, but without clear actions you will get lost in that gap. 

Have A Great Day

thom singer