About this quote

Aging gets a bad reputation as a slow slide into irrelevance. But getting older often brings a sudden, unexpected momentum because you stop caring about minor distractions. You finally have the experience to make decisions fast. Why dread the passage of time when the accumulated years actually strip away the friction? Use this momentum to do the things you postponed when you were young and cautious.

When to use it

• Your fifty-year-old coworker is nervous about starting a grueling master's degree program. You tell them this to remind them that their decades of life experience will actually make the coursework easier and faster to finish.
• A runner feels discouraged after entering an older age bracket for their local marathon. They laughingly say this to their training partner to reclaim their confidence before the race starts.
• Your dad is complaining about his upcoming milestone birthday and feeling useless. You drop this line to break his gloomy mood and get him excited about his retirement plans.