Satchel Paige probably said it best…”Age is a case of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it don’t matter.”
Age, it turns out, is simply a number, not a definition. Certainly, numbers are used to quantify things in mathematics, measurements, statistics, demographics, financial statements and projections, etc. but numbers are not relevant to qualitative ideas, challenges, solutions, etc. Age, the number of years you’ve lived, is not a definition of who you are.
Think about a very young whiz kid who codes and creates a video game and then figures out how to sell that game at age 12. That whiz kid is not about his age…he is about his inventiveness, perseverance, focus and dedication to make something he considers to be of value, in his case a video game, out of nothing.
Now think about a very old man aged 80 who decides to learn new skills and reapply his already known skills to create a new business in real estate. That very old man is not about his age…he is about his willingness to risk, his willingness to both invent and reinvent his skill sets, his perseverance, focus, resilience and dedication to create something he considers to be of value; in his case, a real estate business, out of nothing.
Both this very young whiz kid and this very old man are much alike regardless of their very different ages. Both are top performers who seek to meet challenges head on, find solutions no matter how many times they fail, and accomplish something they each in their own way consider to be a worthwhile achievement.
Top performers know that the “right time” is now, not some time in the future when you think you’ll have enough experience to do whatever it is you want to do. That “perfect, eureka” moment never comes and if you wait for it, you’ll be waiting forever. Top performers are ageless. They are never too young or too old to press forward with their curiosity, drive, resilience, and passion. Top performers, like Satchel Paige, don’t mind however old they are because they know that age “…don’t matter.”
