This February I turned 64.
That sentence alone still feels slightly surreal.
Along with the birthday came the familiar thought, how the hell did that happen?
As I sat down to write this week’s posts for ROPHO, a lot of thoughts were racing through my mind, about age, time, health, work, and purpose.
Because of ROPHO, I think about age more than I used to, but usually in a positive way. I genuinely believe that 60 is the new 40.
Not in a denial-of-reality way, but in the sense that we are far more capable, experienced and resilient than previous generations ever were at this age.
We can still learn, we can still build, we can still dream.
Age isn’t the barrier, mindset is.
When the Conversation Changes
Something happened earlier this week that really stuck with me.
I was at a business meeting for an established uPVC window company. The people around the table were mostly in their 50s and 60s, experienced, capable professionals.
As we waited for the last person to arrive, the conversations drifted, as they always do.
But instead of talking about the weather (our traditional British filler), the topic was health.
“I’ve just been told my cholesterol’s high, doctor wants me on statins.”
“I pulled a calf muscle cycling at the weekend.”
“Waiting on test results.”
Nothing dramatic. Nothing unusual.
But it suddenly dawned on me, health has become the new small talk.
When we’re younger, we talk about what we do.
As we get older, we talk about what’s happening to us.
And that matters.
The Meeting That Wasn’t About Production
Once the meeting started, something else became clear.
Despite being a manufacturing business, the real issues weren’t about machines or production lines. They were about:
- Unclear responsibilities
- Decision-making bottlenecks
- Accountability
- Leadership gaps
- People waiting to be told what to do
In short, it wasn’t a production problem, it was a management and leadership problem.
That contrast stayed with me all day:
Around the table before the meeting, health concerns.
Around the table during the meeting, leadership concerns.
Both matter. More than we sometimes realise.
Why This Week’s Posts Matter
A reader recently commented on my Health & Fitness page asking about cholesterol, almost casually, as part of a wider discussion.
Combined with what I’d seen in that meeting, it helped shape my thinking for this week.
So this week on ROPHO, I’ll be publishing two fact-based, practical posts:
One on business:
The difference between managing and leadership, and why confusing the two holds businesses back.
One on health:
What cholesterol actually is, why it matters, and what we can realistically do about it.
Both topics might sound ordinary.
Neither is.
Because after 60, clarity beats noise, in business and in health.
Still Dreaming, Still Building
Turning 64 hasn’t made me want to slow down.
If anything, it’s sharpened my focus.
I still believe we should keep dreaming.
Keep building.
Keep asking better questions, about how we work, how we lead, and how we look after ourselves.
ROPHO exists for exactly this reason:
To have honest conversations about life, health, business and purpose.
Without pretending age doesn’t exist, but without letting it define us either
If health has become the new small talk, perhaps it’s time we talked about it properly. The same goes for leadership.
What Is Cholesterol, and What Can We Do About It?
Management vs Leadership: The Difference That Drives Results
