My Best Decade
Make the next decade the best of your life. What is the alternative?
A hero of mine who traveled a non-investing road is Jared Diamond. He had twins at age 49; he also says his 70s was the best decade of his life.
Moreover, after an entire scientific career studying the gallbladder (seriously), he switched to writing popular books in his 50s. All his great books have been part of a second (or third!) act.
How can you make this current decade the best decade yet?
His 70’s Was His Best Decade
I know Jared from reading his books.
Guns, Germs, and Steel is truly a paradigm-shifting book. It describes why, through the luck of geography, certain populations of people have come or gone.
Next, Collapse is also an important book about why civilizations fail. They use up all their resources and wreck their environment.
A concern for his newborn boys (when he was 49) spurred his writing career. The climate challenge and resource depletion motivated him beyond gallbladders to study the end of the modern world due to environmental collapse.
He remains “cautiously optimistic” about the future. “Why have children if you are not optimistic?” He gives us a 51% chance of pulling through our current challenges. While he is a great and famous author, the amazing thing to note is that he started writing in his 50s. And his heyday, in his 70’s, was the best decade of his life.
How can we make the current decade the best decade of our life, regardless of our age?
How to Make This the Best Decade of Your Life
So, how did Jared make his 70s the best decade of his life? Now (at age 84), he wants to continue his work for another decade or two.
Youth and curiosity. Jared’s childhood was full of interests he didn’t pursue until late. Geography. Languages. Ecology. What were you interested in as a child that you can do?
And he knew he had to work for something greater than himself. He is trying to save the world for his twin sons. We all must find work for something greater. Find new passions and challenges!
Reflections on Youth
Jared knew he would be a scientist, so he took Greek instead of science in high school. He took non-science classes in college because he knew he would spend the rest of his life doing science again. What non-traditional courses did you take that aren’t part of your career? His interests in his youth were multitudinous; he spent 40 years on one interest before moving on to others. He was a true polymath because he had interests, curiosity, and time.
It is fascinating to understand that he studied the gallbladder because it was the simplest organ he could think of. He studied gallbladders independently at UCLA before closing it down and moving to the geography department. Meanwhile, he became a leading expert in ornithology because it was interesting.
Then he started writing.
How to Make This Decade Your Best Decade Ever
So, how can you make this decade your best decade ever?
Above, you can see when you are happy and stressed.
Happiness generally decreases from your teens until about 40 and then increases. That’s right! On average, you are going to be happier the older you get! So why not make this decade your best decade ever?
I’m not great on how-to lists, but I use Jared as a reference. How to make this decade your best decade yet:
- Explore what made you curious in your youth
- What classes came easiest to you in high school that you didn’t pursue as a career?
- What electives did you take in college?
- Leave your career early to pursue your passion
- Discover Ikigai
- Do something because it pleases you and helps others
- Find your passion in Retirement
My Best Decade Yet
Jared is a fantastic synthesizer and a polymath genius. None of us will be able to do what Jared did, but he inspires you to make your 70s your best decade yet.
What will you learn to make the next decade the best of your life?