Getting older is not a choice, but getting wiser is.
Back in the day when I was still doing New Year’s resolutions, I would set myself a series of goals to achieve in the next 12 months. While I tried to be as specific as possible, there was one thing I dared not write down: retirement at 50.
Too young? I thought it was just wishful thinking, an unattainable goal. So I never bothered to include it as one of my long-term aims to work towards.
That was between 2001 and 2004. I was in my early 30s—ambitious and driven, with a steady job that paid the bills. The idea of retirement was still too far away in the future to consider.
Surprise! Nearly two decades later, who would’ve thought… I quit my last job in March 2020. Yes, I was exactly 50!
Following my resignation, I had time to do a bit of soul-searching. It gradually dawned on me that I did not want to go back to full-time work again.
After weighing up the pros and cons, I knew I was ready for change. So that was it! I decided to get out of the rat race, make a fresh start, and do my own thing. In May 2021 I announced my retirement on Facebook and have never looked back since.
A career trajectory came to a halt. What’s next? A new trajectory called lifelong learning has taken off. Now I am an artist, my own boss, the CEO of Ted Tsai for life. In the process of mastering my craft, I expect myself to show up every day and be professional all the way.
Why dedicate myself to lifelong learning when I also have the freedom to do less? It’s a good question. The short answer is: respect.
Here’s a family story I can share with you.
My dad was a self-made man, a veteran investor back in the 80s when we were living in Taiwan. Through years of learning and analysing the stock market, he had built a wealth of knowledge enough to turn him into an expert in the field. The most obvious thing I saw then was people from his business circle often came to him for advice. I would say that was his moment of glory.
Later, when we migrated to Australia in 1990, he became a different man—the opposite of who he was in his heyday. I remember he said from the outset that he was too old to learn English. But he was only 49!
Consequently, the language barrier quickly took a toll. It cost him his potential to make it big here. Feeling like a fish out of water, an outsider in a new country, his confidence was eroded by a sense of helplessness. It was tough to watch him go from hero to zero in such a short space of time.
The main takeaway from my dad’s experience is: never stop learning.
Going forward, it feels like 2022 has passed by quickly. As I write this, we are entering the last quarter of the year; the change of seasons is on the horizon. Our spring is on its way. Yes, time flies!
Well, I am not that old yet in case you are wondering—still a decade away (or 13 years to be precise) from being called a senior citizen. It may be a euphemism for old person or retired person, but “senior citizen” is what I aspire to as I get older. Someone who is sharp, young at heart, interesting, or perhaps a role model for others to look up to. Older and wiser, respect is not only earned but also learned. And that is where lifelong learning comes in…
Ted Tsai 