It’s Never Too Late!
Authors Linda Gratton and Andrew Scott are both professors at the London School of Business in the management practice and economics departments, respectively. [1] Gratton approaches The 100-Year Life: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity from a management perspective, and considers how longevity will impact human resources, while Scott approaches their research from a perspective of the impact of longevity on the economy.[2]
Since reading The 100-Year Life, I’ve done an informal survey of about 30 adults and children, asking them how long they think they’ll live. Children have a wide range of responses from 65 to 90 years old. Adults usually land in the range of 80-85 years old. When I tell a teenager that 50% of their generation will live to be over 105, they are shocked. Regardless of age, most express that they do not want to live a long life because they assume it will come with decades of very poor physical and mental conditions. When I explain that the good years are increasing, too, they respond with skepticism.
We likely acquired incomplete information about lifespan from subconsciously calculating the life expectancy of our grandparents and great-grandparents who have died in our lifetime. Since the average life span is a lagging indicator (we don’t know the average lifespan of a generation until they have all passed), we are basing our predictions on the lagging indicator (which is people born in the early to mid-1900s).
We are also exposed to poor statistics in the media like an article with the following headline, “With the average life expectancy in the UK being about 81, turning 40 carries more weight than previous milestones.” [2] In reviewing some statistics from the Office for National Statistics in the UK, it appears that the average life expectancy in the UK of 81 is based on life expectancy at birth – meaning it includes infant mortality. For anyone who has made it beyond birth, the life expectancy increases by a few years (83 for males, 86 for females).
For me, I was incredibly encouraged by The 100-Year Life. Like those I informally interviewed, I had previously assumed I would live to be 85, and anything beyond that would include a wheelchair, nursing home, and full-time care. I’m nearly 40, and having assumed retirement around 65 years old, I would be nearly halfway through my career. Since reading Gratton and Scott, I realize that I’m likely not even near halfway through my life, much less my career! It took me several years to finally decide to pursue a doctorate, and the main reason I didn’t pursue a PhD was related to the time it would take (compared to the time left in my career). Now I’m thinking that I probably have enough time to do both!
Needless to say, my first response to The 100-Year Life was filled with optimism and endless possibilities. I began dreaming about what a multi-year career might look like and how I could equip my children to plan for a 105-year life.
While the application is a bit different, I was reminded of John Piper’s book, Don’t Waste Your Life. [3] Piper urges readers to take risks living for Christ and to live a life that counts. When I was 16 years old, I felt a call to global missions, imagining that I would live amongst an unreached people group. Fast forward a few years, I got married and had children, and all of the hopes and dreams of overseas missions became a distant memory. In recent years, the Lord has rekindled that idea, but we have not yet been able to take any steps beyond supporting missions stateside. Within 5 years, our kids will be adults, so logistically, making a move is much more possible than with our teenagers at home. But…that would mean we’re in our 40’s or 50’s and trying to learn a new language. How could we possibly learn a new language at that age? But if we launched in our 50s, we might still have 30 years of productivity ahead of us, so spending 3 years to master a language could be a reasonable investment.
Overall, I am thankful for this week’s reading and will consider it in future planning, coaching my children, and leading staff of all ages.
References
[1] “THE 100-YEAR LIFE: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity,” n.d., https://www.100yearlife.com/the-authors/.
[2] Lynda Gratton and Andrew J. Scott, The 100-Year Life: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity (London ; New York, NY: Bloomsbury Business, 2017).
[3] Louisse Haywood-Schiefer, “‘I Accept Myself for Who I Am’: People at 40 on What Life Has Taught Them so Far,” The Guardian, n.d., https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/feb/02/people-at-40-on-what-life-has-taught-them-so-far-fortyfied.
[4] John Piper, Don’t Waste Your Life (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2009).
[5] London Business School, 100-Year Life: Seizing the Longevity Dividend, n.d., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixYde_Gu6mI.
About the Author
Christy
10 responses to “It’s Never Too Late!”
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Christy,
I appreciate your optimism and your thoughts of still possibly going into the mission field. I am wondering if you have a specific people group or country that you would like to work with?
Japan would be my top choice, but language learning has always been so intimidating. But maybe we still have time! But honestly, we are pretty open to most parts of the unreached world!
Hi, Christy. I like the way you started with survey that makes your introduction lively. I am among those that have an uneasy feeling about living longer. To me living longer would be filled with suffering from being old and weak. On the other hand, I would like to so I could see my kids’ become adults.
Lastly, I too feel the same about your takeaway which is to consider future planning and and coaching of our kids. Thank you,
Christy,
You do bring a bit of optimism into this book. I appreciate that you can see a three year investment of language learning as beneficial if you were to live somewhere for a long time after that. I wonder, if you were to go and serve somewhere is there a place you already have in mind?
Japan would be a dream, but we’re pretty open! Indonesia would be a close second!
Christy, you have big goals and a big dream still ahead of you! As a 61-year-old in this program, I’d say “you’re never too old.” 😉
Here’s a thought too: if you and your husband have some sense of where you’d like to serve, you could start learning a new language relatively soon.
God bless you in your journey!
Christy, thank you for your post. I appreciate the way you bring John Piper’s work into the conversation. I would love to know your initial coaching tips for your kids from the perspective offered in this book?
I encouraged my kids to pursue life long learning and to be open to re-creating themselves in different phases of life! We will definitely continue to talk through this!
Hi Christy, I completely support your decision to get a PhD. Also, I am curious to know what came to mind when you started dreaming about a multi-year career?
It’s interesting that most people express a dread of living a long life. What do you think will get people excited about having more time?
Christy,
I love your post! Your mini-survey was fun to read about. My mantra over the past few years is that the best overseas workers in unreached contexts are those with life and ministry experience in their home countries, humility, a teachable spirit, and no kids at home. From someone living what you feel called to do, 100 times YES! YOU CAN DO IT AND YOU SHOULD!!!
You ask: “How could we possibly learn a new language at that age?”
My answer: God is not confined to what we think we need to do or our human abilities. If you are supposed to learn the language He will give you those abilities in his way and timing. He may also choose to use your other abilities such as your degree and being a native English speaker. In my context, people are far more open to the Gospel when speaking in English than in their own native language. They feel safer.
You write: “But if we launched in our 50s, we might still have 30 years of productivity ahead of us, so spending 3 years to master a language could be a reasonable investment.”
My response: 30 years is a reasonable investment to master a language! Language learning is a life-long journey.
Obviously, I have more responses for you than questions this week. You touched on my passion and heart’s cry! My friend, you have my full support and encouragement to embrace your call. If it is from God, He is equipping you to be exactly who He created you to be.