Excuses roll off the tongue easily.
“I don’t have a degree.”
“Our competitor has better prices.”
“We don’t have updated technology.”
“I didn’t have enough time to prepare.”
“We don’t have enough staff.”
“I’m too old.”
That last one?
Tell it to Elana Meyers Taylor, who at 41 captured her first Olympic gold medal in monobob at her fourth Winter Games.
Tell it to Kaillie Humphries, 40, standing right beside her on the podium.
Tell it to Nick Baumgartner, who won gold at 40 and competed in his fifth Olympics at 44 in Snowboard cross – a young person’s sport.
Tell it to Lindsey Vonn, who came out of retirement and fought her way back to world-class competition after pausing competition for six years.
Tell it to Rich Ruohonen, a first-time Olympian at 54.
What can we learn from these “old” athletes?
- Intentional Self-Care
Longevity requires recovery.
Sleep. Nutrition. Training. Pausing.
Even Simone Biles has reminded the world that mental health is performance health.
You cannot perform at a high level if you never step off the gas.
- Adaptability
Elana Meyers Taylor once dreamed of playing Olympic softball. When that door closed, she changed lanes.
Just because you’re an expert in one arena doesn’t mean you can’t evolve into another.
Relevance requires reinvention.
- Strategic Effort
As we age, effort alone stops being the differentiator.
The edge shifts from how hard you work to how intentionally you work.
Manage your energy.
Work in your peak performance windows.
Say no to what drains you.
Focus on the few activities that create disproportionate return. In other words, not all effort produces equal results.
In business – and in life – a small number of actions typically drive the majority of outcomes.
It’s the 80/20 principle in action.
Strategic effort beats scattered hustle every time.
- Deep Intrinsic Motivation
You’ve got to want it.
No one trains for the Olympics – or builds a business, or leads a team – without internal fire.
And when someone tells you that you can’t?
Be careful taking advice from people who’ve never done what you’re attempting.
- Develop your humor muscle
In 1984, Ronald Reagan addressed concerns about his age during a debate with Walter Mondale:
“I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”
The room erupted and Reagan won 49 of 50 states and 525 electoral votes.
But beneath the humor was truth:
Age, when paired with discipline and adaptability, becomes an advantage.
Experience compounds.
Wisdom sharpens.
Perspective steadies.
Age is not the liability.
Excuses are.
The Question Isn’t Your Age.
The question is this:
Are you evolving?
Are you protecting your energy?
Are you sharpening your edge?
Or are you rehearsing reasons?
Excellence doesn’t expire.
It adapts.
And so can you.
So true Tim. Thank you for sharing this insight. Inspirational as always!
Thank you, Laura! I also appreciate your comments! Thanks for being a faithful reader!