Don't Stop Elevating in Life and Business

Growth You Can See in the Rearview Mirror

One lesson that’s stuck with me from a lifetime in business and technology: real progress is something you notice when you look back. In the world of software, there’s that old saying—if you’re not embarrassed by your code from a few months ago, you’re probably not stretching yourself. I think that applies just as much to life as to code. We should be able to see our old habits, choices, or thinking and spot the places where we’ve elevated. The hard part is that it’s easy to stall out—waiting for the right time, the right person, the right economic climate—only to find that another year’s gone by with nothing new learned.

You’re never too old or too young for this climb. Even if the last few years have felt flat, the next stair is always within reach. Elevating is really just about being honest with yourself: am I satisfied with being exactly who I was five years ago, or is there something nudging me to move forward and up?

Compounding Wisdom Early, and then Keep It Going

There’s a unique speed to learning in our teenage and early adult years. If you use those years to gather as much wisdom as you can, the returns really start to multiply. That’s the compounding effect—small efforts build into much bigger gains. Sometimes, though, we don’t start until later—maybe our forties, fifties, or beyond. No shame in that at all, but there’s extra opportunity for those who start stacking up the lessons young.

If you’re in a position to give the next generation a hand up, it’s well worth it. Kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, neighbors—help them spot those first steps. Encourage travel, new experiences, and the curiosity that gets the flywheel turning sooner.

Ways to Elevate: Travel, Language, Faith, Connection

Travel is a reliable way to shift your view of the world. Staying rooted has its comforts—especially if you’re running a family business or growing deep ties close to home. Still, stepping out to see new places, even if it’s just the next region over, unlocks a different kind of growth. There’s wisdom in balancing both.

Learning another language, even just the basics, stretches your thinking in ways you might not expect. The effort is more important than total fluency—it’s about seeing through a new lens and breaking out of your usual patterns.

Faith is another deep well for elevation. Growing in faith and emotional intelligence shapes how we see the world and react to change. Social groups matter, too. If the things you discuss with friends in your fifties are the same as in your teens, that’s a signal it might be time to step up. Let those relationships evolve as you do.

Then there’s public speaking—perhaps the sharpest stair you can climb. It doesn’t matter if you’re terrified to address two people, or if you’re refining your delivery for a crowd of hundreds. Every time you practice, you’re raising your confidence, feeding your growth, and changing how you show up in every part of life.

Life Brackets and Why We Never Stop

I see life as a series of brackets, or stairs—from birth through childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, and each professional and family season, all the way through retirement. At every bracket, opportunities for elevation look different, but they’re there if you look. Too many of us treat retirement as the final climb, and let ourselves plateau. That sells you short, sells your family short, and, I believe, falls short of your purpose. Even after you retire, there’s wisdom to build and share, and new ways to serve. No matter your stage or story, the next step is still ahead—keep looking up.