Hope I die before I get old,"
declare the Who in their
classic rock anthem "My
Generation." What really makes us
"old" — our chronological age, or our
attitude? ("I'm TOO OLD for that sort
of thing.") My favorite quote on staying
young is by philosopher Oliver
Wendell Holmes: "We don't stop
playing because we get old ... we get
old because we stop playing." And
"Da Coach" here is not about to stop
playing!
I'm writing these words as I sip an
iced coffee outside on a picture-perfect
summer Tuesday morning. This is
after a 30-minute bike ride en route to
my office. Now how many of you are
saying, "Gee — I'd love to ride my bike
to the office, but ..." and kill the possibility
before it even has a chance to
grow. What if — let's just say — you
could bring a change of clothes in a
backpack; that you could put your toiletries
in the pack; that there was a
health club with a shower nearby; that
you'd have a blast riding by all the cars
stuck in rush hour traffic ... "NAH —
better not ... what would people think?
After all, I'M MIDDLE-AGED."
I submit it's not that you couldn't
ride your bike — you just wouldn't
because you think it would be "undignified"
at your age. Well, I'm in my
mid-50s — summer's here and the
time is right for riding in the streets! I
loved it when I was 10 years old, and
it's no different four decades later.
So what are some things you can do
to get some "play" into your life? Here
are a few examples I engage in regularly:
- Team sports. There's nothing I like
better than takin' it to the hoop with a
group of guys at the "Y" — we're out
there runnin', gunnin', jumpin', bumpin',
sweatin' on each other, and talkin' all
kinds of middle-aged trash ... a phenomenal
workout! (My hero is a guy
named Kenny, who's in his early 70s.)
- Swimming. Most of the year I'm
doing indoor pool laps, but when July
and August come, I LOVE jumping
into Lake Michigan! The water is
always refreshingly invigorating. (A
well-kept secret: Chicago is a GREAT
beach town.)
- Cooking. No matter what kind of day
I've had, I usually prepare a simple
dinner from scratch. It really doesn't
take that long, and the process of chopping
up ingredients, mixing them
together, and serving them up puts me
in a state of relaxed concentration.
And the results beat the heck out of a
microwaved frozen dinner.
- Fandom. As a Chicago sports fan,
I'm cheering year 'round for Da Cubs,
Da Bears, and Da Bulls. There's no better
way to let out pent-up aggressions
than at the old ball game. My teams
may not always win, but as a "diehard"
Cub fan, I say ANYBODY can
have a bad century ...
- Music. I learned to play guitar by
mastering a few simple chords and
then playing along with Beatles,
Stones, and Grateful Dead records —
I've always imagined I'm in the band!
I have some musical associates — we
get together every so often to have a
jam session to blow off steam. (No —
you don't want to hear me sing, and I
won't quit my day job ... )
- Dogs. My wife and I are dog lovers
and think our two are highly evolved
beings — who else can give such
unconditional love? And they're
ALWAYS up for playing, even if it's just
a game of ball toss around the house.
- Outings. About once a month I go
out with some buddies for a dinner
and perhaps a music or sporting event.
It's a perfect night on the town to
have some good clean fun — my
thought is, "Everything in moderation,
INCLUDING moderation!"
I hope I've inspired you to add a little
fun into your life today, and every
day. In order to live a great life, play
like a champion!
Since developing his first coaching program in 1982, Success Skills Coach Jim Rohrbach, "The Personal Fitness Trainer for Your Business," has coached hundreds of business owners, entrepreneurs, and sales professionals on increasing their clientele.
Learn more about Success Skills Coach Jim Rohrbach.
To find out how a Nightingale-Conant coach can help you become a high achiever, call us at 877.512.3100 to speak with a coaching representative.
