***For ages 14 or older
Are you feeling “over the hill”?
Are you feeling a bit lost in life?
Focus your life — starting here:
1. Am I “over the hill”?
Finally, by the time you hit your 50s, the struggles of your 40s typically begin to let up a bit. Like I said in my book DECADE by DECADE, in your 40s, you felt like you were a strong, Kentucky Derby-level thoroughbred racehorse running through six inches of deep, wet mud. No matter how hard you tried, it seemed you could never get up to the speed you were capable of.
In your early 50s, the track begins to dry out. You can feel your speed picking up; you’re beginning to hit your stride!
You’re getting traction. Every time you make a move, something happens. A lot of things start coming together in your 50s.
Here’s when you say to yourself, I know what I know! I know who I know! Everyone knows I know! I’m ready to go!
2. Moving from “feeling old” to “getting ready” to maximize your 60s!
Every person I have talked to between ages 50 and 53 has very quickly admitted to feeling “old” on certain days. This is when it occurs to you, “I’m halfway to my 100th birthday; strategically, my life is half over.” You start paying even more attention to your health. That’s why people in their 50s begin going on diets, joining health clubs, and getting more regular health checkups.
But remember what I said earlier: Your 60s is the single most productive decade of your life! You are far from “over the hill”! You are in the last decade of preparation to absolutely maximize your 60s. The profound question you ask yourself at this phase of life is:
“What are the 10 measurable priorities I need to complete in my 50s to be exactly where I want to be on my 60th birthday to maximize the decade of my 60s?”
When most people in their early 50s hear this thought — that their best decade is actually their 60s — they typically take a deep breath and say something like, “I feel you’ve just given me a fresh start in life. I no longer feel ‘over the hill’; I feel I am really just getting started and preparing for my 60s and 70s!”
3. Defining your “North Star”
Your early 50s is a great time to review your “north star.” Your personal north star is your 50,000-foot direction, not your destination. It is like the North Star in the sky; it is never your destination, but it gives you a sense of direction so you always know,“This way is north!”
Here are five points of your north star (take one single sentence to answer each question):
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WHO IS GOD? (Whether you’re atheist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish or Muslim, your answer to this one question affects your entire life.)
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WHY AM I ON THIS EARTH? (Your life purpose/mission.)
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WHAT DIFFERENCE DO I WANT TO MAKE BEFORE I LEAVE THIS EARTH? (Your life dream/vision.)
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HOW WILL I MAKE THIS DIFFERENCE? (Your lifework.)
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HOW LONG DO I WANT THIS DIFFERENCE TO LAST? (Your legacy.)
It is a good idea to take a bit of time in your early 50s to reflect on, define, and clarify these five life direction questions as a contact for all your other activities.
About Bobb Biehl
Since 1976, I have coached, consulted with, and mentored approximately 500 senior executives and about 5,000 executive staff members. During sessions likely totaling 50,000 hours, I have helped healthy, responsible adults like you clear mental fog, remove roadblocks, and grow into their potential.
In those 50,000 sessions, I came to see that each decade has its own very predictable patterns. In the book DECADE BY DECADE, I share and explain these patterns. This can help you “clear the fog” around what you are experiencing, see it as normal, and begin to look forward to what your next decade will bring!
Let the book DECADE BY DECADE help you gain clarity about this decade of your life — and gain insight into what relatives, friends, and team members are experiencing in their decades as well.
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Read your decade/chapter first to see what millions of people experience as “normal” for the 50s.
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Read the rest of the decades/chapters to understand what family members, team members, and friends are experiencing.
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Brainstorm with your team about how to use DECADE BY DECADE to be better:
Attorneys
Board members
Caregivers
Church planters
Coaches
Consultants
Doctors
Educators
Entrepreneurs
Financial advisors
Friends
HR directors
Middle managers
Mentors
Parents
Pastors
Presidents
Scout leaders
Team builders/members
DECADE by DECADE is a proven tool you can use for the rest of your life!
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Bobb Biehl — 2023 — BobbBiehl.com