A 35-ish year old woman recently asked me at a party if I use the "internet". She saw my shocked saucer eyes and quickly changed the question, "do you use Facebook?" I recall that question over and over in my mind today, my 50th birthday. For some men, this mid-life crisis milestone might result in a new sports car or an affair, depending on your predilections.  For me, I would rather have a plan. "To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time" Leonard Bernstein. 

Meg Jay has an informative speech on Ted Talks titled Why 30 is not the new 20. Ms. Jay, a therapist, challenges that your 20's are not a throwaway decade but rather the defining time of your life. She believes that your 20's are the most transformative period of an adult life, the developmental risk taking sweet spot that comes only once. Baby boomers will feel the urge to forward this video to their perceived unfocused and unmotivated younger offspring and relatives.

The new normal is that we will likely live much longer than those before us. The structural weakness in the economy exacerbated by global interconnectivity has eroded most of our retirement nest eggs, so many will be working longer than expected. Moreover, elongated lifespans due to improved health and medicine has changed the realities of aging.

Based on my current age and family DNA, I probably have another 35 years or so left on the planet. That's a long time. I'm not sure I will appraise until I see St. Peter, but I definitely will be appraising for many years to come. So why not face your appraisal career (even if you're a veteran) with a more youthful outlook? By youthful I mean energetic, focused and enthusiastic, not a hair piece and a Corvette.

I talk to many commercial appraisers that have one foot out the door but most of their mind is already out the door. They don't see the necessity to ramp up their office efficiency to face the changing course of our profession. They don't see the value is staying competitive, often with the attitude of "I'm done" or "I don't have a dog in that fight anymore."

I don't pretend to be much younger than my physical or chronological age. Mentally, I probably have the maturity of a 17-year-old.  Physically, I feel about mid-30s. However, I don't recommend taking breaks from exercise. My workout buddies always laugh and say, we're in pretty good shape but we know we can't stop training for an extended period of time or we might break down like an old truck. It must be a lifestyle and not a thing you "should" do. As the Nike ad says, "Yesterday You Said Tomorrow."

Society might say "50 is the new 40", a tip of the hat that you're "allowed" to act younger than you are. That's fine, but when I hear this saying (and other age bracket comparison combinations) I feel it's often disingenuous. I contend 50 is the new 50. In other words, I am redefining in my mind what it means to be 50 for me. This is an important distinction. I don't dress younger than what one would expect with my 1964 birth year (last year of the baby boomers), I don't go to Goth clubs, or look for a young trophy wife, but I also refuse to act or feel "old". I think it's perfectly acceptable to drink a nice Italian Chianti and watch South Park after an 8 mile run. I think is perfectly acceptable to continuously invest heavily in software and technology for my appraisal firm.

The important point is don't subscribe to the generally accepted societal norms of what it means to be 50: too old to embrace and utilize technology, too old to maintain a healthy lean body weight, too old to learn new things, too old to run, lift weights or stretch, too old to listen to younger music, too old to make a difference and too old to be relevant. Yes the years slow us, but they don't have to stop us. What your brain thinks the body, mind and appraisal career can achieve.

To the dream killers in your world that tell you you're too old to do this or that; I recommend you quote Mr. Bernstein, "I've been all over the world and I've never seen a statue of a critic." Start acting YOUR age, whatever that may be.