There are few industries out there not touched by today’s economy. One of the significant issues as I see it is the age of those affected. If you’re mid 40 and above things are seriously messing with your head…especially the farther north you are of 50.

What was once our five-year plan for either retirement or slowing down has now become a 10 year plan, or worse yet, no longer doable. The market has shrunk more than revenues; has also shrunk our ability to dream and plan. 

Every conversation is tinged with optimism – “There’s still money to be made out there!” Or “It’s just the New Normal and we have to adjust”. Both are accurate, yet simplistic and beg the question, not whether you can do it…but will you?

Entrepreneurs tend to look back on our successes romantically, remembering the struggles as great triumphs of accomplishment but forgetting the details. And those details more than anything else are what we must focus on in order to truly adjust to this new landscape. We need to remember the late nights that led to long weeks not just as dues paid, but what they were to us at the time…no big deal. 

In the early days we reveled in the long days because while chasing our dream, we were exploring, learning new things and creating something new. We didn’t know what we didn’t know, but were hell bent to learn it. We simply didn’t know any better.

Unfortunately, with experience and time, we now do know better…or do we?

I submit that in order to succeed in today’s economy, we must forget most of what made us successful and completely re-tool our brains. As we look forward it’s imperative that we erase our learned frame of reference in order to recapture that feeling of wide-eyed wonder. Naïveté is now the new black. 

There’s an entire generation of “twentysomethings” out there entering the game who don’t know any better, putting in those late nights and blissfully figuring it out as they go along. And if we don’t join them, we’re destined to be nothing more than a speed bump along their road to success.

Dwain – The BusinessBiker

As always – This is just my opinion, I could be wrong.  So, if you disagree or simply want to pile on, please do so either here on the BLOG or email me directly at Navigator@BikersGuidetoBusiness.Com  I look forward to hearing from you.

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