Aug 2020
Growing on a Different Timeline
A personal reflection on the pressure of early achievement and the strengths that can emerge at different stages of life.
Different plants bloom at different times, and our minds also develop along different timelines. We do not have to chase youth or remain trapped by the idea that success must come early. Rich Karlgaard’s Late Bloomers helped me question that belief.
The pressure of an expected timeline
As I approached 30, I often felt evaluated against a prescribed “life timeline” and left behind by conventional definitions of success. That pressure came from comparison: concern from family, polished stories of successful people, and employers—particularly in technology—who often favor younger candidates and measures such as IQ. Karlgaard describes the wider culture behind this pressure:
“What I suggest is that parents, schools, employers, the media, and consumers of media are now crazily over-celebrating early achievement as the best kind of achievement or even the only kind. We do so at the cost of shaming the late bloomer and thus shortchanging people and society.”
— Rich Karlgaard
The book’s discussion of cognitive development helped me see that anxiety about the age of success is not always necessary. By understanding ourselves and using the strengths available at different stages, we can develop at our own pace. Late bloomers exist everywhere; they may simply receive less attention in a culture focused on early achievement.
Thinking in Practice
4 ideas feel especially relevant:
Curiosity
Stay curious in life and work, and have the courage to try.
Quitting
Leave goals that are meaningless or unattainable instead of remaining trapped by sunk costs.
Uprooting
When necessary, move to an environment that offers a better fit.
Self-narrative
Reframe my story with more objective eyes, remembering past effort and achievement while noticing fears that may be shaping my choices.