You’re never too old to have a go at something!

And it's never too late to try something new!

Understanding the mature person

When people age, it seems to me that there is a misconception that they are outdated or their abilities have changed significantly. They are put into a category with a 'used-by' date, when, in fact, they are ready to produce some sound and worthwhile contributions to the tasks for which they are skilled, where they can utilise the talents and skills developed over many years of experience and achievements gained throughout their lives.

There are many examples of older or mature people being pushed out of their environment and jobs due to the misconception that they are either out of touch or no longer able to be productive and imaginative. This could be true to a degree; however, it is more likely due to their age.

There should be a better understanding of the individual, unless a person has a sickness that prevents them from working or being active, for instance, a person in their 40s onwards who is fit and ready to work, can provide skills needed in a business or retraining can be used in many ways to utilise their maturity and skills in the areas of their expertise.

Work knowledge, skills, life experiences, and also their ability to deal with tasks differently than when they were younger when they may have been more impulsive to react to circumstances that required deeper thinking, the mature person can, in many cases, provide a sounding board and reasoning to life situations, workplaces, and tasks.

Perceptions of things change as experiences accumulate, and individuals encounter a range of situations, both positive and negative, in their personal and professional lives. This is called life experience, and it cannot be achieved unless you experience the things you do throughout your life.

I call this your own "Mini Personal Encyclopedia Of Life." This reflects your unique life experiences, and no one else has the same ones. They could have been similar, but never the same.

It is an encyclopedia of your life because it is unique to you. It will be pervasive, affecting both positive and challenging life situations, encompassing aspects such as family, work, travel, health, finances, education, friendships, and so on. Each of these areas will change as you progress through the decades of your life.

Also, as you age things change significantly, our looks, our voice, our shape, and our ability to do things the way we used to, so we have to adapt in our own way to the circumstances we find ourselves dealing with, and in some cases, the maturing person could be considered to be past it and not able to do the things that a young person is capable of, and this is correct, for we cannot play a sport in the same manner that we could when we were young. However, we can still engage in sports, even if it is at a slower pace, and this is also true in the business world.

A mature person can be competitive in their own way in physical situations; however, when it comes to non-physical activities, the middle-aged or mature person can be more than competitive.

The experiences of a mature person are unique and should not be undervalued; it is incredible that the mature person builds up a wealth of experience and information over decades of life experiences, and then it is not utilized to help other generations that are following, you see it time and again where the same type of mistakes are made from one generation to another, the mature person coupled with up to date education can be as competitive as anybody in their field with their added knowledge and their experience, so long as they are healthy and do not lose enthusiasm to do things.

From my experiences when I was young, I viewed people in their mature years differently and felt that they were a bit "over the hill" in terms of expressing themselves. Now that I am in that position, I find that a maturing person doesn't feel old, and there can still be a lot of enthusiasm and drive to achieve and try new and different things in life and work.

You can feel relatively young inside; however, you are well aware that you are getting older. Looking into a mirror, unfortunately, brings the message home loud and clear, but inside the fire can still be burning, so if you are one of these types of people why not have a go, don’t let anything or anybody stop you from trying to do something you want to do, if you don't want to stop work then don't, keep going for as long as you can.

What can a mature person do?

We all need to stay busy, and in particular, keep our minds engaged by doing things that interest and challenge us. Doing things we like and enjoy gives us stimulation, makes us happy inside, and motivates us to get up each day. We should all ask ourselves, 'What have you always wanted to do?' Once this is identified, we should plan how to achieve it, develop a strategy, and execute it.

Maintain control of your life; this can be challenging, especially in certain circumstances and situations you encounter. Most of us find ourselves under the control of others; for example, in our work situation, we have superiors who have control over our lives. They can significantly impact your future. How you present and develop yourself has a significant impact on where you head in the future, and how you build your future is very important. In many cases, it simply falls into free fall, hoping that recognition and opportunities will be presented along the way. This is the wrong approach; we should all assess our needs and desires, formulate a life plan to achieve our goals, and work hard to make it happen.

The plan should give us the best opportunity to achieve our goals and set about implementing it when we are ready. Keep in mind that the best plans all need to be reassessed, so you should be prepared to adjust your plan as you move on.

It does not matter whether you are 18 or 80. You have the ability to do something with the time you have on this planet, and in reality, nobody can predict when their time is up. Therefore, we should all strive to make every day, every minute, worthwhile, moving toward our goals.

There is no guarantee in life. We can strive to maximise our opportunities, which is just as crucial in the maturing years as it is when we are young. We cannot predict what the future holds, so live in the moment, be creative, and give it a try.

Find a direction, build a plan, and get started. Don't allow your life to go into free fall.

To create a plan, consider using our free MindMap software. It has a basic map ready to go; you have to add your parts to it. You can get it by requesting it through the form in the sidebar on this page.