“The times they are a changing.” Bob Dylan was right and it applies to older folks today. Never in history have older people been ready to kick butt in all kinds of ways. Let’s look at why.
The Grey wave
Today’s older folks will not be sitting in the rocking chair – unless it’s while listening to rock music! They are planning on 20+ years of butt kicking in many ways. You hear lots about the Baby Boomer generation and how they are going to break the Social Security and Medicare system. But what about the positive aspects?
Political Clout
Older people are voting in record numbers and they pay attention. When our representatives do something stupid they give them hell!
A little money and maybe a lot more time
It’s amazing what can be accomplished with a little money and some time. Some 60+ people are hitting the peak of their earning years and they are not in a big hurry to quit. Not only can they make a contribution to their employers, they also have some extra money because kids are grown and hopefully most debts are paid off.
Others have just a little money from Social Security and savings but a lot of time. And all that time can be invested in myriad ways. Think starting a business, volunteering, or helping young people.
So how can you join the “Kick Butt” demographic?
Get your health in order as much as possible
Health is probably the biggest determination of your degree of involvement. You hear of many people staying very active into their 80s and 90s. The key is reasonable health. Minor health issues you can ignore and just keep going but serious health issues can put you out of the game or end your life prematurely.
Start a business where money isn’t the only goal
This is a big trend these days. Instead of hanging up their work clothes some are putting on a whole new set. Many times money is a secondary goal. They are doing work they love and money is just a side benefit.
Start an organization for a cause
The world has so many problems that need to be solved. Instead of waiting for somebody else to solve them why not start an organization to solve it yourself.
Use your experience and maturity
This is an area where older folks have a real advantage. Older people have seen it all before. Nothing surprises them and they don’t panic. In my career managing programmers I’ve always tried to maintain a mixture of age groups. I like older people because when everybody else is panicking they just keep trudging along to solve the problem.
Associate with people of all age groups
Don’t hang around all older retired people. There is nothing wrong with them, just have an assortment of friends and acquaintances. You can’t help young people if you don’t ever see any. Choose your company carefully. You want to associate with people that are doing stuff, not sitting on their butts.
So how will you kick butt?
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