Parent Post
Decades ago, a talented
Decades ago, a talented young musician pursued his childhood dream of becoming the world’s greatest French horn player.
At 19, he dropped out of college to tour the world, his goal of joining a top symphony orchestra as a soloist just within reach.
But suddenly, his performance started to worsen. No amount of practice or specialized training helped. In fact, the harder he raged against his decline, the faster it inevitably came.
Train your mindset to
Train your mindset to attempt new techniques and explore possibilities.
The greatest athletes, coaches, and innovators don’t stop when something is working. They ignore what competitors are doing and continue working to disrupt themselves.
Brooks explores this unlikely
Brooks explores this unlikely shift From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life.
The book examines the changes in people’s brains as they near middle age that makes old ways of doing things—such as constantly working harder—less satisfying and effective, and charts a course to find a “second curve” that can be more rewarding.
Practice a death meditation
Practice a death meditation to neutralize fear of decline:
- I feel my competence declining.
- Those close to me notice this decline.
- Other people receive the attention I used to receive.
- I have to decrease my workload and step back from daily activities.
- I am no longer able to work.
- Many people do not recognize me or know me for my previous work.
- I am still alive, but professionally, I am no one.
- I lose the ability to communicate my thoughts and ideas to those around me.
- I am dead, and I am no longer remembered for my accomplishments.
The striver’s curseIn almost
The striver’s curse
In almost every high-skill profession, decline sets in between a person’s late 30s and early 50s as the brain’s prefrontal cortex degrades ineffectiveness.
An additional rub is that the better people perform, the steeper the decline they likely face. And the more attached they are to success, the harder its loss hits.
Often, when decline kicks in, people like her are too addicted to success to make a change.
Evaluate and improve relationships.
Evaluate and improve relationships. “Understand the nature of your relationships and judge them fairly, the same way you would if you were assessing a deal,” Brooks says. “You’re super good at that. Turn your gift inward.”
Work, don’t wish, for change. “Everybody at HBS knows that wishing for something better is garbage,” Brooks advises. “You’ve got to work for everything you want.”
Finding a new callingResearch
Finding a new calling
Research shows that it’s not all decline past 40. Certain aptitudes grow during middle age that favor wisdom, teaching, and sharing ideas.
Language skills and articulation tend to increase, he says, and professions that combine and use existing ideas—such as applied mathematics—see much greater longevity.
Jumping on that second curve says Brooks, requires people to take on a teaching or mentoring mindset in whatever field they’re in.
A roadmap to the
A roadmap to the second curve
How do you know it’s time to look for that second curve?
Each person’s second curve will look a little different; changing how one thinks is critical to seeing and seizing it. Brooks offers a roadmap with a few suggestions.
