Embracing New Skills at Any Age: Overcoming the 'Over 30' Barrier
TL;DR: While energy levels may shift with age, learning remains viable at any stage of life. By understanding our own 'Human Path' and aligning it with the 'Heavenly Path,' we can optimize each phase of our career for growth, leadership, and strategic direction.
Debunking the Myth: Learning Isn't Just for the Young
There's a common saying, whispered at times and declared at others: "You can't teach an old dog new tricks," suggesting that learning new skills becomes significantly harder after thirty. While we've previously argued that age isn't the barrier it's thought to be, it’s crucial to recognize the undeniable factor of energy.
Your ability to learn doesn't vanish, but physical and mental stamina naturally change over the decades. Readers often ask, "Can I achieve X at 40?" or "Is Y possible at 50?" Let me share some personal reflections on navigating these life stages through the concepts of the "Human Path" (人道大經) and the "Heavenly Path" (天道大經).
The Twenties: The Season of Planting (Self-Improvement)
Reflecting on my own journey, I firmly believe that the years leading up to 30 are crucial for learning and self-growth. This is not just hindsight; it's what I practiced in my own twenties. During this period, you may not have much financially, but the real return on investment is the comprehensive upgrade of yourself through learning and skill acquisition.
In the mid-2000s, as a young man in my twenties, I hadn't achieved major career milestones or investment windfalls. But I was investing heavily in myself. By 2006, I was deeply modifying the Linux kernel to run on a non-standard chip, a task that required immense learning and experimentation despite my initial lack of experience.
The key takeaway for your twenties is to maximize self-improvement. This is your springtime—the time for sowing seeds with your seemingly limitless energy.
The Thirties: The Season of Growth (Leading and Teaching)
From 30 to 40, your reality shifts. Sustained late nights become challenging, and constant business travel takes a toll. This is where the foundation laid in your twenties becomes crucial. If you built solid skills and knowledge, you likely have people working under you by now, and your role evolves.
In your thirties, the focus shifts from doing to teaching and leading. You build your influence, your team, and your "territory." This is your summer—a time for cultivating growth.
The Forties and Beyond: The Season of Harvest (Strategic Direction)
After 40, physical energy declines further. Your effective work time may shrink, focusing more on high-level tasks: setting direction, steering the ship, not rowing. At this stage, your experience and knowledge are at their zenith, but your physical capacity can't keep up.
This is where the team you cultivated becomes essential. The rewards in this phase are substantial, but they are the fruit, not the seed. This is your autumn—the time for harvest.
Aligning with the Paths: The Human and the Heavenly
This progression of learning, leading, and directing mirrors the "Human Path," aligning with the "Heavenly Path" described by Sima Qian: "Spring birth, Summer growth, Autumn harvest, Winter storage." Just as nature has its seasons, so does human life and development. You reap an autumn harvest because you sowed seeds in the spring.
Can You Plant in Autumn?
Is it possible to do "spring" work, like intensive learning, in your later years? Theoretically, yes. Some are late bloomers, like Colonel Sanders of KFC fame. However, diminishing physical energy and mental motivation are significant hurdles.
Unless you plan to coast through life from the start, starting early is almost always better. Align your efforts with your life's season: invest heavily in yourself during your energetic youth, transition to leadership and mentorship as your energy shifts, and focus on strategic direction in later years. Plant in your spring, tend in your summer, and you'll be well-positioned for a fulfilling autumn harvest.
