Not Too Late: The Power of Pushing the Limits at Any Age
- What one untapped skill or dream would you love to pursue (singing, tennis, fly-fishing, piano?) and what obstacle has prevented you, so far, from pursuing it?
- Alex Hutchinson, the author of Endure, says in Not Too Late: “It’s fun to be bad at something, because it means you can get better.” Do you feel more nervous trying new things as an adult when you were a kid? How do you think social media’s pressure to post perfect pictures holds us back from doing things where we might look silly?
- With aging comes wisdom and crystallized intelligence that can be an edge and equalizer when trying something new. What are some “edges” you feel like you have now compared with ten years ago?
- In the book, the author attempts to reconcile the amount of time she spends “sitting” with “screens.” Do you feel like this is an issue in your own life? Can you share techniques each of you have tried to reduce the amount of time you spend online?
- What types of activities and movements do you hope to perform in your later years? Do you feel like you’re on track physically to meet those goals? Why or why not?
- In Not Too Late, the author writes short chapters about the obstacles she encounters in her races and compares them to metaphors for larger challenges we face in our lives. Which obstacle resonated most with you and why?
- In Chapter Eight, “Coming from Behind,” the author outlines seven key guideposts that anchored her midlife journey to master something new and hard. Choose a couple of guideposts to discuss in your group and why they might be effective in new opportunities you’re hoping to tackle.
- In the chapter, “Don’t Let Your Crop Die,” Bounds attempts to whittle down her priorities to what’s essential so she can train for her races, which means figuring out what small “time-slice-sucks” are eating into her day. What are some of these “time-slice-sucks” you encounter? And how might you resolve them?
- Fear is a theme in Not Too Late as the author comes to grips with her own mortality. Can you all share moments of fear you’ve experienced? What triggered that fear? How did you work through it?
- The concept of “flow” is introduced in Chapter 18. Entrepreneur Chip Conley says: “I believe that flow becomes more important as we age, as we need to move from the weight of the world (which is easy to store up) to the wonder of the world.” What does Conley’s message mean to you?
Invite the Author
Invite the Author to your book club. Occasionally, I can hop on a video gathering or call!