Team Alpha 375

You're Not Too Old
by: Dan Jourdan

At the neighborhood pool this past summer I realized that I have not learned a new trick for diving off the board in 30 years. Every kid there was trying something new and improving their skills to some degree, but I was just doing what I have been doing since I was 10 years old.

In how many areas of your life are you standing still? Do you have the same computer skills that you had 10 years ago? Are you intimidated to learn new things?

One of the most exciting parts of technology today is that it is always expanding in places that even the inventors could not imagine. No longer do you have the luxury to wait out which one will be the leader (like the competition between the Betamax and the VCR). You must learn them all - now. And it’s fun! Your brain will be kept active and alive. You will be able to talk to an 18 year old again without appearing as an old dog who is vulnerable to becoming expendable.

Did you know that if Facebook was a country, it would be the third largest? That’s right... China, India, Facebook.

And did you know that if you spent the same amount of time learning the new technology as you did looking at the weather reports in the morning, you would be an expert in Social Media in one year? You would also gain an appreciation for continual learning that will last a lifetime. You would also become more relevant at work and make more money.

So what are you waiting for? Dive in:

1. Wake up an hour earlier than usual and play around on the computer. See what people are doing and ask yourself a question or two. Ask…How do you do that? Then figure it out. The hour will pass in an instant and you will have grown your brain.

2. Talk to high school kids to see what new things they are doing. These people are learning communication skills now that will be the future for us all. They will tell you where to start. And they are dying to teach you if you are willing to learn.

3. Refrain from dismissing the new stuff as useless or pointless. (It might be you who is becoming pointless.)

4. Just get out there and do it. There is no way to make a mistake. Just learn and do it today!

It has been said that nothing stays the same. You are either growing or shrinking, either climbing or sliding, with no in-between. You cannot let yourself become inadequate to perform in your society simply because you have fallen into what you would call a groove. If you stay in the groove too long… it will eventually became a rut!