Last month I crossed a major milestone—75 years—feeling strong, healthy, and newly energized to consider not only where I have been, but where I am still called to go. A phrase came to me as a tagline for my next 20 years: “An old girl out to change the world!” As usual, I am inviting others to join me. Old or young, we can bring about needed change together. But I am especially intrigued by the role reserved for the “old girls.” We can, and must, do some things younger generations cannot yet do—not because they lack intelligence, but because time, training, and perspective give us a particular kind of equipment: hindsight, foresight, and insight.

Hindsight.

Workers who are looking toward retirement with anticipation and careful planning can benefit from those who are able to look back honestly, name what mattered, and analyze the paths they chose. Many young people believe that retirement is an age you attain. In reality it is about funds acquired, the residual income flowing from those funds and passive income from business ventures. Those already retired can steer others onto the right path.

Foresight.

This process involves recognizing social, political, and economic trends; anticipating technologies that may affect outcomes; and making reasonable predictions about the future. Yet foresight does not begin with prediction. It begins with historical perspective—with the discipline to examine past trends, strategies, and results. That perspective becomes the launchpad for wiser planning. When we are ignorant of the past, we are more likely to repeat it; true foresight is always connected to hindsight and training. With age comes personal experiences from past history, and a natural inquisitive bent toward studying historical trends.

Insight.

Here we move into the work of analysis, and I am increasingly aware of the obstacles that stand in the way. One is counterintuitive: too much information. Some sources call this the “new dark ages.” The first dark age resulted when the masses were denied access to relevant information. In this second dark age, the masses are overwhelmed by information without the skills to make sense of it. At the same time, certain standard statistics are no longer produced, leaving analysts to build their own. Too much of what passes for detailed analysis creates confusion for people trying to make important life decisions. Those who have followed some of the older analysts and trends are likely to have a leg up in understanding what may what may be missing, overlooked or over-emphasized in current trends.

Time.

The need for seasoned perspective becomes even clearer when we consider time. Young working people—families in particular—often cannot find enough hours in the day for everything asked of them. I once sat down with pencil and paper to draft the numbers. Beginning with a family of four—two parents and two children—I added the appointments required even if everyone were healthy: annual checkups with doctors, dentists, and optometrists, and perhaps a chiropractor or orthodontist. Add meetings with teachers, church activities, camps, organized sports, music or other arts, birthdays, and social events. Now try to organize for the present and plan for the future. Then one illness, accident, or relational upset—and suddenly nothing works.

Training.

Training creates another challenge. Traditional educational systems were built for industrial-age students preparing for industrial-age employment. We are now in a different era, and our systems have not yet fully regrouped.

Outdated training is a major factor in shaping outdated thinking. Wealth thinking is only beginning to gain traction with young people. Many are just realizing that employment may be a convenient on ramp to the financial highway but jobs alone will not lead to the desired destination.  A single job—or even a series of jobs over a lifetime—can no longer reliably deliver an adequate retirement package. Meanwhile, the overabundance of information and the lure of popular media have led many to follow influencers who offer job alternatives, but deliver only a minuscule chance of success for the average person.   A basic foundation in wealth thinking and planning is still missing.

Yes, but

I know this challenge personally. When I retired at age 55, I had to ask a new set of questions: If living to age 95 is likely, how do I make life work for 40 years without a traditional job? Can I make my retirement savings last? Will the return on my investments outpace inflation? Can I retain my health? How do I support adult children and grandchildren without being reduced to a mere enabler or free babysitter? Can I grow my wealth and leave a lasting legacy in an economy where financial mismanagement at the corporate and governmental levels runs rampant? The answer to all these questions has to be, “Yes, but.”

Those “yes, but” answers point to the hurdles we must clear if we hope to change the world. First, we must redeem the word “old.” Just as youth has both strengths and weaknesses, age carries strengths of its own. When I focus on the best attributes of “old,” I think of being elder, mature, seasoned, well versed, time-honored, practiced, and familiar. It is a wonderful thing to be a girl, with all the energy that word implies, and still carry the wisdom and steadiness that come with age. That’s us.

The Next Chapter

As women who have invested our funds, energy, and time over many decades, we are ready to help rescue the generations still in the battle—not by taking over, but by bringing what only time can teach. I’m calling out the old girls.

One of my favorite spiritual leaders—who is neither old nor a girl—has a tagline that applies here: “If we’re not having fun, I’m not going. And if we’re not changing the world, I’m not staying!” This concept captures perfectly the spirit of this next chapter of life: purposeful, joyful, and unwilling to sit quietly while there is still work to do. Some will join this movement; others will watch.  But all will benefit from old girls taking action.

Read more of Gail’s article on Plaid or connect with her on her website.