A lifetime in charts…

This is NOT some long winded FINANCE BRO monologue about spending a lifetime eyeballing charts, hoping to make MILLIONS, only to slide out the side door at 40, wondering what the hell to do next. 

This is about YOUR lifetime in charts.  As the company name suggests I am about lifting futures - not the ones on the screen anymore, but YOUR FUTURE. Perhaps a few words and some simple charts will get you fired up for the future?! 

Side note millions were not made before my side door exit... not by me anyway. 

Let’s get started.  

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We all started life the same way, popped out and into the big wide world, hopefully to then be supported during those years when we are most vulnerable. In the chart below life begins and everything beyond this point represents our FUTURE.

Those early years have a STEEP LEARNING curve, from being able to simply poop, sleep and cry, we learn to walk, communicate and so much more.  With the love and support of others we start growing and our FUTURE STARTS TO RISE as time passes and we begin our lives.    

If we manage to avoid certain hazards then we start to develop into adults who have ideas, thoughts and aspirations.  We dream big and SHOOT FOR THE STARS. 

I recently found out that during our teenage years our prefrontal cortex is slow to develop.  Thankfully my short lived career as a MOPED STUNT RIDER did not end in death at 16.

“The brain finishes developing and maturing in the mid-to-late 20s. The part of the brain behind the forehead, called the prefrontal cortex, is one of the last parts to mature. This area is responsible for skills like planning, prioritizing, and making good decisions.” The National Institute of Mental Health

In adulthood we are taught about SECURITY and SURVIVAL, time to leave the nest and fend for yourself. 

These days it takes a decent amount of MONEY to fend for yourself so priorities for many are a well paid job. 

For many children of the boomer generation, money was a top priority, their parents had made it, middle class and a washing machine, we better do the same. 

This led me to FINANCE rather than maybe being an artist or musician, that and Trading Places with Eddie Murphy and Dan Akroyd.

We hit our 20s and 30s making money, dreaming big, staring up at the stars with big aspirations.  We can take our health for granted for the most part, eating and drinking and sacrificing sleep for money and a good time.  Life is sweet. 

For some this might be a time they really experience success, athletes, artists, it is lift off for them.  At this point it is REALLY IMPORTANT to make clear that the line moving up is only through HARD WORK.    

The Beckhams and Beyoncé's of this world did not fluke it to the stars - everything takes HARD WORK.  Anyone moving up at a quicker pace is putting in the work - FAILING, LEARNING AND GROWING.

“There is no way around hard work. Embrace it. You have to put in the hours.” Roger Federer As we start making money we start to enjoy SECURITY, we have navigated those pitfalls of SURVIVAL and can look to the future with confidence. 

Money in the bank, a secure job, a nice lifestyle.  For some we do not need to work as hard to maintain security and we can relax a little.  

Maybe some of us lose sight of those stars they were shooting for and coast a little.  Money coming in, nice holidays, nice watch, etc.

Some of the lucky ones will FIND A COMPANION and shift this whole line up into a new stratosphere, building a family, enjoying the real beauty of life. 

It's worth taking a moment to think how much TIME you are INVESTING in FINDING that PARTNER relative to how much time you spend looking for an extra zero on your bonus? 

One client said to me recently that finding the right partner should be your life’s work - he has many zeros on his bonus and continues to look for her. 

So now we are set, money in the bank, a family, a career, nice holidays, fun lifestyle - WE MADE IT!  Look at me mum I have a separate washer and a dryer. 

So why do so many of us feel a bit lost and the line stops pushing up and to the right? 

It could be many reasons, like realizing we didn’t find the RIGHT PARTNER, feeling that the JOB we have is not what we want to do all of our life, we start to address our MORTALITY because we can no longer behave like human dustbins with bullet proof batteries.  

One of the largest reasons is that we are no longer CHALLENGING OURSELVES - our whole existence is down to our ability to survive.  We have developed over thousands of years to in essence be lazy. 

We conserve energy for when we need to chase a rabbit for dinner, or to run from a lion when we are their dinner.  It's human nature.  As we age we learn certain HABITS AND ROUTINES which the brain loves, it craves routines, especially ones which don’t use too much energy. 

SOCIETY also knows this, so we are building a world where we can be incredibly lazy - some call it the COMFORT CRISIS.  The implications mentally and physically are HUGE.  Before we know it this line is making a nose dive towards check out time. 

The trips to the DOCTORS are becoming more SERIOUS, certain ACTIVITIES are becoming more DIFFICULT to do, the body has become so accustomed to this comfort level (or laziness) that we are on the big dipper heading down towards the end. 

Where that point is along the timeline rests largely in YOUR hands.

Over the years I have sadly lost people I really care about who were aged 20, 31 and 39 - far too young.  They are a constant reminder to me that LIFE IS PRECIOUS and it can be gone in an instant, DON'T WASTE IT sleepwalking until it's too late.  

So you have a choice today - and every day - to decide: do you keep pushing this line forward and up to the right or do you coast?  Coasting is fine, no one will judge you for that, but if you feel like coasting is having a detrimental effect on your LIFE then you should address it - kick that lazy brain out of survival mode and into living mode.  Life is a gift and not everyone gets to enjoy old age.  Please recall that society is increasingly geared against your longevity - comfort crisis, loneliness epidemic, sitting is the new smoking, sugar in EVERYTHING, profits over people, the list is endless.  You have to work really hard just to navigate your way through!  

If you are moving regularly, connecting regularly, eating well, looking after your body, sleeping well, happy and finding challenges that inspire you on a regular basis then great - KEEP GOING!  Our bodies and minds slow down largely through INACTIVITY not simply just through aging.  Whilst we can't stop the aging process, we can slow it down. 

If you are struggling to find a way to lift your future be it in work, love or energy I would love to speak with you. My goal is to become a world class coach and lift as many futures as possible in the process.   PS. Please do not mistake the LIFE axis as simply MONEY!!!