Everyone desires to feel important in one area or the other in life. People tend to measure their worth by so many metrics that make them feel good, loved and appreciated. However, as one age in life, things also take on a new turn. Sometimes even the prepared are taken aback. The question is how does one stay relevant when aging in one’s career and life?
Here are simple things to do and traps to avoid.
#1. Keep learning
Make it a habit to learn something at every stage of your life. Your learning helps your earning.
You can learn new skills at any stage and age of your life. Your skills will enable you to stay relevant in many ways. You will still be in demand by people who need your expertise.
#2. Lower your expectations
The trap of feeling entitled to things based on any metric you may want to use should be lowered as you age. Remember no one really owes you anything – love, respect, honor, etc.
People are not obliged to honor you, they decide.
To avoid lots of embarrassments and disappointments as you age, simply lower your expectations from others. Once you learn not to expect too much from others, you will appreciate the beauty of the simple pleasures in life.
#3. Raise the next generation
By pouring out your expertise into others, you learn to keep the cycle of knowledge transfer going and growing.
Leaving a legacy by virtue of mentoring others will cause you to be revered as you age. So, reach out and teach others. If you are retiring from your job, don’t retire with all your expertise, share it with others.
#4. Write a book
It’s unfortunate that many great minds die and die with their ideas and expertise because they couldn’t preserve them for future use. I believe that taking time to read this information now, suggests to me that you are one of the exceptional people who want to have their wisdom preserved to help the next generation.
The truth is that one of the best ways to document your expertise is to write a book. If you can’t write a book, hire a ghostwriter to help you.
It’s about time to have a good book in your name. A book establishes your expert status and causes you to stay relevant in your chosen field.
#5. Guard your reputation
Resist from engaging in activities that will mar your hard earned reputation.
In this age two major traps that cause great men to fall are:
- Promiscuity: love for women/sex. Hardly a day goes by without hearing about reputable men falling victims to sex scandals. If married enjoy your wife.
- Greed: the excessive hunger for money by every means fair or foul has led great men to fall to the dungeons. If you desire an abundance of wealth, keep your deeds clean.
Once your reputation is lost, it becomes almost irreparable.
Build trust and be trustworthy.
Whatever happens, don’t lose your relevance. Keep your brand
Bernard Kelvin Clive is a Trainer, Personal Branding Coach/Brand Strategist at BKC Consulting and Amazon bestselling author of 40 published books. He is Ghana’s foremost authority on Personal branding and Digital Publishing and host of the #1 ranked Business & Career Podcast in Ghana/Botswana.
