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Personally, I’ve done some of my best work in my 40’s and 50’s. And so different to anything I was capable of doing in my 20’s and 30’s. The funniest thing is

Personally, I’ve done some of my best work in my 40’s and 50’s. And so different to anything I was capable of doing in my 20’s and 30’s. The funniest thing is that I chose not only my university degree but also my optional modules based on a career choice that I moved on from well before I was 30. I don’t generally do regrets, but older me would tell younger me to relax a bit. There’s plenty of time and lots of things to try. Be prepared to be surprised!

a1445c8b 5y ago
> Personally, I’ve done some of my best work in my 40’s and 50’s. Reading this makes me feel better about my current trajectory. Mid 40s male.
- antupis 5y ago
  I think career peak comes somewhere between 45-60 especially when domain is something which needs multiple skills like founding company or writing book. https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/a-study-of-27-million-startups-found-ideal-age-to-start-a-business-and-its-much-older-than-you-think.html https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/a-study-of-27-million-startup...
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
martin_a 5y ago
> I don’t generally do regrets, but older me would tell younger me to relax a bit. Me now (35) would love to tell that to me (15), too. All the grey hairs for nothing.
dagw 5y ago
Yes. I'm 43 and I'm feeling that I'm only now just hitting my stride, career wise, with good idea what I'm actually good at, want to do and can contribute. 20-40 was basically floundering around, trying things, learning things and working out what I wanted to do when I 'grew up'. And looking back, I wouldn't want to have had it any other way.
- WJW 5y ago
  For sure. When I was 15, I looked back on my 10-year old self as someone who didn't know anything but now I had learned a lot. When I was 20, I looked back on my 15-year old self as someone who knew nothing but now I was an adult. At 25, I looked at my 20-year old self in the same way. Repeat for the next few steps. I'm now 35, pretty happy with how it is going life- and career-wise and I look back on my 30-year old self as someone who was starting to get it but was still rather young and naive. Today I feel like a proper adult who does adulty things and has life figured out reasonably well, but no doubt 40-year old me will think my current self was still pretty young and inexperienced.
  - benibela 5y ago
    On the other hand, now I am 32, and when I look at back at my 15-year old self, I just knew everything back then. I am only regressing since then in all ways
    - edzillion 5y ago
      The Best Lack All Conviction While the Worst Are Full of Passionate Intensity
    - adamsmith143 5y ago
      Maybe in feeling but certainly not literally. A 32 year old working in a field is going to know far more than their 15 year old counterpart. Of course you may be getting into the "I know that I know nothing" regime. While your 15 year old self subjectively thought they knew everything.
- kilroy123 5y ago
  This gives me hope! I'm mid-thirties and getting older.
- chasd00 5y ago
  It's like the stopping problem or "secretary problem". When you have the time ( 20s, 30s) try as many different things as you can. In your 40s and 50s narrow and cash in. "cash in" doesn't have to mean literal cash but could be a metaphor for happiness or contentment.
mrjangles 5y ago
Yeah but if older you had actually told younger you to relax a bit, would you be where you are now talking about how things are going well, or would you be like OP in the linked article? Sure it is true that opportunities usually never come from the places you are searching, but they don't come at all if you aren't searching.
- cyberlurker 5y ago
  For me, it was about stress. I never did and still have trouble enjoying good things in the moment, because I’m always thinking about the next thing and how I need to prepare for it. Even when it’s unnecessary… Our younger selves would never listen to us now anyway, but I’d probably tell my younger self to meditate and be more positive. It’s free to have a positive attitude and it helps a ton. I’m not sure about others, but I do think I’d be roughly in the same spot if I relaxed more. I’m skeptical how much doing that extra 1% effort really helped me get further when it cost me sleep or joy.
sAbakumoff 5y ago
I can relate to this sentiment. I recently turned 40 and 2021 was the most successful year out of the 20 years of career in IT, and I feel that's just the beginning.

a1445c8b 5y ago

> Personally, I’ve done some of my best work in my 40’s and 50’s. Reading this makes me feel better about my current trajectory. Mid 40s male.

antupis 5y ago
I think career peak comes somewhere between 45-60 especially when domain is something which needs multiple skills like founding company or writing book. https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/a-study-of-27-million-startups-found-ideal-age-to-start-a-business-and-its-much-older-than-you-think.html https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/a-study-of-27-million-startup...
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

martin_a 5y ago

> I don’t generally do regrets, but older me would tell younger me to relax a bit. Me now (35) would love to tell that to me (15), too. All the grey hairs for nothing.

dagw 5y ago

Yes. I'm 43 and I'm feeling that I'm only now just hitting my stride, career wise, with good idea what I'm actually good at, want to do and can contribute. 20-40 was basically floundering around, trying things, learning things and working out what I wanted to do when I 'grew up'. And looking back, I wouldn't want to have had it any other way.

WJW 5y ago
For sure. When I was 15, I looked back on my 10-year old self as someone who didn't know anything but now I had learned a lot. When I was 20, I looked back on my 15-year old self as someone who knew nothing but now I was an adult. At 25, I looked at my 20-year old self in the same way. Repeat for the next few steps. I'm now 35, pretty happy with how it is going life- and career-wise and I look back on my 30-year old self as someone who was starting to get it but was still rather young and naive. Today I feel like a proper adult who does adulty things and has life figured out reasonably well, but no doubt 40-year old me will think my current self was still pretty young and inexperienced.
- benibela 5y ago
  On the other hand, now I am 32, and when I look at back at my 15-year old self, I just knew everything back then. I am only regressing since then in all ways
  - edzillion 5y ago
    The Best Lack All Conviction While the Worst Are Full of Passionate Intensity
  - adamsmith143 5y ago
    Maybe in feeling but certainly not literally. A 32 year old working in a field is going to know far more than their 15 year old counterpart. Of course you may be getting into the "I know that I know nothing" regime. While your 15 year old self subjectively thought they knew everything.
kilroy123 5y ago
This gives me hope! I'm mid-thirties and getting older.
chasd00 5y ago
It's like the stopping problem or "secretary problem". When you have the time ( 20s, 30s) try as many different things as you can. In your 40s and 50s narrow and cash in. "cash in" doesn't have to mean literal cash but could be a metaphor for happiness or contentment.

mrjangles 5y ago

Yeah but if older you had actually told younger you to relax a bit, would you be where you are now talking about how things are going well, or would you be like OP in the linked article? Sure it is true that opportunities usually never come from the places you are searching, but they don't come at all if you aren't searching.

cyberlurker 5y ago
For me, it was about stress. I never did and still have trouble enjoying good things in the moment, because I’m always thinking about the next thing and how I need to prepare for it. Even when it’s unnecessary… Our younger selves would never listen to us now anyway, but I’d probably tell my younger self to meditate and be more positive. It’s free to have a positive attitude and it helps a ton. I’m not sure about others, but I do think I’d be roughly in the same spot if I relaxed more. I’m skeptical how much doing that extra 1% effort really helped me get further when it cost me sleep or joy.

sAbakumoff 5y ago

I can relate to this sentiment. I recently turned 40 and 2021 was the most successful year out of the 20 years of career in IT, and I feel that's just the beginning.