Are you a conformer or a performer?
Growing old gracefully is fine if you’re someone who thinks that ‘old’ is inevitable. Imagine trying to sell old wine instead of vintage. I’m not a child by any stretch of the imagination and I can’t fly but sometimes I think I’m a bit of a Peter Pan (J.M. Barrie, 1904) living my best life.
Ageing disgracefully is more my genre. I’m all about living in the moment enjoying the here and now, rather than imagining ‘old.’ And just for the record, I have no desire to find out what old feels like.
Who knows what’s next? I’m usually the last to know! Some might say that’s not particularly organised of me given my positive and direct approach to life more generally. Truth be told, my life and my career have evolved rather than following a precise plan. If you know me, you’ll recognise my determination to succeed as well as my need for freedom.
I’m great with concepts and ambiguity although the other side of that coin is not enjoying being told what to do and how to do it. I love to learn new tricks and enjoy chatting about how things work or being shown something new, but I need that subtlety.
In 1971 when I began full-time work the expectation was that people retired in their sixties (assuming they hadn’t already). Establishing my business was the best thing ever. My sixties came and went and I’m still here – lots of projects to hold my interest and still some unfulfilled dreams.
What’s your preference? Do you like to work things out for yourself or receive detailed instructions on what comes next? Given my preference for experiential learning, I sometimes forget that others prefer the safety net of precision and careful planning. It’s fair to say that I’ve lived my life so far with a sense of instinctive adventure.
The same goes for my writing. I loved writing my first book and sketched out an overall plan which evolved alongside the chapters. All things considered it was a mix of my desire to be professional (the plan) and my need to be spontaneous. That’s unlikely to change any time soon.
I’m proud of my organic writer status, although I recognise the benefits of data and analytics in my work. Over the years I’ve learned that I need both – that’s freedom and rigour. But when it comes to how I live my life, I don’t err on the side of caution or predictability. For now, my life and my work are brilliantly intertwined.
