In the 2000's I was in my 40's. I was living in Los Angeles, I got married, and I also had the biggest financial crisis of my life during that time. It’s been said that most people experience a “mid-life” crisis some time in their 40’s, but my crisis was when the 2007-08 financial collapse happened and it woke me up to the fact that I hadn’t produced enough prosperity in my life yet. Up until my 40’s—and throughout most of my 40’s, I didn’t set my targets high enough.
If you’re in your 40’s now, take it from me, now is the time to take it up a notch. You’re not beginning to wind it down and take it easy—you are just now beginning your climb to your real potential. In your 20’s you have no idea what your potential might be but you may have big dreams. In your 30’s you think you’re making progress, and by your 40’s you begin to realize that your progress could and should have been so much more.
That’s why I’m telling you today to step on the gas pedal—no matter what age you are—and start moving faster toward your dreams. Most people think when they turn 40 that they are “over the hill” but I wish I would have told my forty-something-year-old self, "You're younger now than you'll ever be, so enjoy it and get to work!”
Here are more tips I’d give every 40-something out there:
1) Trying to Get Back in Shape After 40 is hard but if you wait until 50 it will be harder. Get exercising now if you’re not. If you already are hitting the gym, step it up a notch. You can be in better shape than you were in your 30’s if you really commit to it.
2) Get more ruthless and refuse to accept anything average. So many people in their 40’s are focused on their job or their family but rarely do they focus on going after having it all. The idea is always “balance”. Forget about balance, go out and get what you want!
3) Learn a new skill. How many 40-somethings do you know that have quit educating themselves? To increase your income at this stage, you will need to increase your knowledge, learn new technologies, and keep growing. While “school” may have stopped for you over 20 years ago, you better continue investing in yourself.
Your 40’s are a great time to increase your income, think bigger, and begin to move faster.
We're in the middle of an Epidemic of Average where so-called "normal" people get up every day, go to work, do what's asked of them, leave promptly at 5, and return home to sit on the couch and watch TV. A preoccupation with balance at any age is really just an excuse to be mediocre.
Don't get complacent because your 40’s is a time when wisdom and wealth come together—what I mean by that is that you’re hitting the perfect combination of wisdom and health in your 40’s. Whether you are 40, 43, 45 or even 48, don’t let this opportunity pass you by. Make the remainder of this decade the best decade of your life.
Oh, and for all the single ladies out there in your 40’s, don’t think you're a bad person for wanting to be involved with someone who is financially secure. It doesn't mean you're a gold digger. It means you want your money right and you want to be involved with someone else who has their money right.
If you're 50+, comment below what tips you'd give people in their 40's. If you're in your 40's, what tips would you give to those in their 30's?
Be great,
GC
Grant Cardone is a New York Times bestselling author, the #1 sales trainer in the world, and an internationally renowned speaker on leadership, real estate investing, entrepreneurship, social media, and finance. His 5 privately held companies have annual revenues exceeding $100 million. Forbes named Mr. Cardone #1 of the "25 Marketing Influencers to Watch in 2017". Grant’s straight-shooting viewpoints on the economy, the middle class, and business have made him a valuable resource for media seeking commentary and insights on real topics that matter. He regularly appears on Fox News, Fox Business, CNBC, and MSNBC, and writes for Forbes, Success Magazine, Business Insider, Entrepreneur.com, and the Huffington Post. He urges his followers and clients to make success their duty, responsibility, and obligation. He currently resides in South Florida with his wife and two daughters.