“Growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional”
-Walt Disney
In a world where storytellers and technological wizards are seamlessly integrating fantasy with the real world, businesses without creativity at their core tend to fail. It is this alchemy of technology, creativity and the right guidance that builds the foundation for their end-consumers to taste the power of mixed reality, thus reminding them why they never wanted to grow up in the first place.
While most aspiring entrepreneurs are under the impression that their initial idea and inspiration requires bouts of creative thinking, experienced entrepreneurs will tell you that the later implementation and the competitive business fields are the real creative challenges.
Just like young entrepreneurs can learn from their elderly counterparts, likewise, there’s a lot of inspiration and energy that the seniors can seek from their younger counterparts. Surround yourself with like-minded people from all generations and great ideas are more likely to flow. Equally, remember to draw upon the knowledge of your peers. You may find they have been in similar situations in the past, which you are now facing for the first time.
Entrepreneurs who have been building their business empire for years, and are now concerned about remaining creative in their pre or post-retirement years, simply need to look around themselves for inspiration. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but good entrepreneurs can always find innovative ideas, fresh strategies and different angles.
While the spirit of youth is infectious, there is absolutely no reason why an advancing age means you need to slow down when it comes to business (or almost anything else!). With the right mindset, experienced entrepreneurs can use their age to their advantage in both business and life.
Senior entrepreneurs can have the best of both worlds. Call upon your wealth of experience, but harness the contagious enthusiasm of youth too. Combine them both and you could be onto a winner. You cannot will a new idea but you can train your imagination, like a muscle with regular exercise, to conceptually blend dissimilar concepts from different contexts, leading to original ideas and insights.
Be sure you are doing something you truly care about. Making a difference and trying to do good in the world will get you out of bed in the morning. At the end of it all, you need to remember that age is just a number.