Each week I try to bring insights and breakthroughs from my coaching practice. Today is a little different.
First off, 2 mini insights that I posted elsewhere: the first on the surprising difficulty of actually acting in accordance with your stated priorities
And another why Warren Buffet's 30% loss-rate against the S&P 500 should encourage you.
But the thing I really want to share today is the essay I published on Medium.
It's about the big 3-0. You see, next week I'll be entering the last year of my thirties. I remember putting a lot of pressure on my self to "make it" by thirty I see that same pressure in my clients—in some ways its getting worse.
This essay is my attempt to address those unfair expectations. Here's an excerpt.
The Tyranny of Thirty
The Artificial Deadline That’s Ruining a Generation
The tyranny of thirty has become the most pernicious deadline of our culture — a guillotine over the necks of ambitious twenty-somethings at tech startups in Silicon Valley, artist studios in Bed-Stuy, and influencer houses in West Hollywood.
All of them chanting the same frantic mantra:
“I gotta make it by thirty.”
Thirty is the line in the sand — the point beyond which “high potential” resolves into undeniable achievement or probable irrelevance.
And there’s a hint of truth in their words. Early success enables you to compound your gains and many of our culture’s most iconic figures got their start at a young age:
- Taylor Swift won her first Album of the Year Grammy at age 20.
- Mr. Beast became the world’s most subscribed YouTuber at age 26.
- John and Patrick Collison became the world’s youngest billionaires at ages 26 and 28.
- Kehinde Wiley began his iconic Rumors of War series at age 29.
Tech, art, and pop culture have long had young prodigies. That’s nothing new. But the tyranny of thirty, the pressure to become “somebody” by your third decade has intensified in recent decades.
And there is no greater culprit than the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
What began fourteen years ago as Forbes’ attempt to one-up Fortune’s prestigious 40 Under 40 list has transformed from a celebration of rare precocious talent into a cultural imperative. As the list expanded across 31 industries and regions, anointing nearly a thousand young stars annually, its nature fundamentally shifted.
From a truly exclusive distinction, it became the expected next rung on the achievement ladder — its absence a silent question mark on your status. Did you even matter if you weren’t a 30 Under 30? Like the academic arms race triggered by US News college rankings, getting on the list became a gold star to chase, rather than the natural result of excellence.
Keep reading (1,037 more words) on Medium.com
Jason Shen
