It is a commonly held belief that as we age we should dial it back. Or even, as we approach retirement (at any age) we should kick our feet up and relax. Coast into the sunset. 

I strongly disagree.

However, I could not agree more with the fact that there is a time and a place for relaxation. A place for recreation. And periods of time where it is just you, your loved ones, and doing all of those entertaining, adventurous, bucket list items. 

But I do believe that if that state was a constant it would erode your understanding of “enough” and leave you either seeking more or feeling empty. Unfortunately, I feel like this is common among those either in retirement (and even some not even close). They work for decades to just stop doing what they’ve done forever and now they need to fill the time. If they didn’t invest in themselves, or in their systems, they end up with all this availability and either no one or nothing to occupy it. 

As we age, it incrementally gets more and more difficult to make friends, develop hobbies, or find new interests. While it’s not impossible, we’ve created these patterns that we are all of a sudden supposed to stop. 

This is something within our control. It just takes time. Work on your skills, systems, and relationships now so that as you evolve you can rely on your foundation of never-ending growth.