Remake Yourself: Change Your Surroundings - Second Act: What Late Bloomers Can Tell You About Success and Reinventing Your Life

Okay, so, like, this whole thing is about, you know, changing your life and, like, changing yourself. It's kinda cool. So, the basic idea is that your surroundings, like, your culture, your friends, your job, all that stuff, it really, really impacts who you are and what you do. And, um, it's not just some random thing, it's a big deal. So, to change, you gotta change your circumstances. It makes sense, right?

Like, you can become a different person by actually changing stuff around you. It's not magic, it's, like, putting yourself in a new environment. Goethe, that's an old-timey writer, said, "Tell me who you spend time with, and I will tell you who you are." So basically, who you hang out with *really* matters. Like, *really* matters.

And it's not just about who you hang out with. Like, artists, for example, they often form groups, you know, like, where they can collaborate and encourage each other. It's like having a team, even if it's just a small group of friends. And you know, these groups, they create a whole *new* culture for themselves. It’s all about having shared goals, a common vision, and, like, some basic assumptions. It's not always about having a mentor, though. It's more about peers working together.

Think about it this way: if you're trying to innovate, you need that small core of people who are all trying to change the world. That's where the magic happens, you know? But remember, age doesn’t really matter here. Some people start later, it’s totally fine. And these collaborations can be super productive if you're with the right people who are all aiming for similar things.

But sometimes, um, things are a little more subtle than just the people you're working with. Just how people act around you can affect you. It's unavoidable. Like, companies can actually use this, too, for better or worse. Think of Pixar, they show everyone early versions of movies and ask for feedback. They care about your suggestions. They call it like "psychological safety", that feeling like you can share your ideas without being ridiculed, you know? It's all about having mutual respect. But, it's not about being friendly all the time. It's about solving hard problems with people you admire.

And cultures are huge, like really huge. Think about Florence during the Renaissance! It produced a ton of artists, right? And it shows you that where you live really matters. You need, like, a community of talented people working on similar things. Your genes don’t matter nearly as much.

But, it's not always sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes, you just have to avoid working with toxic people, yeah? There are studies showing they can affect your productivity and just generally bring everyone down. In fact, it might be better to hire an average worker than a toxic superstar. Crazy, right?

Also, positive vibes are key. When you’re in a culture where your work is encouraged, it creates a positive loop. It’s all about making those small steps of progress every day. It all adds up. And collaborations can improve productivity, like in academics or sciences. And even social networks matter, you know, those people that aren’t on paper, but that you know. Getting feedback from people who are well-connected is a big deal.

And this isn’t just about peer pressure, it also affects the kind of information you get. Like, if you’re always hanging out with the same people, you’re going to have the same worldview. So yeah, it really matters who you’re working with.

Now, some people are more easily influenced than others, you know? It's not a one-size-fits-all thing. Like, think about those old war draftees. After the war, many of them were more successful than before the war. A lot of them, it improved their life trajectories. Change your circumstances, and your surroundings, and you might change your whole life.

Julia Child, you know the chef, she was kinda stuck until she went to France. Suddenly, she was able to find what she was really good at. These transitional moments are super important. It can even work on smaller scales. Like, teenagers who grew up in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis are more financially prudent than the generation before them. Putting yourself in new contexts can make a massive difference.

Even Carl Bernstein, one of the guys who broke the Watergate scandal, almost got fired. But he got his act together, and bam, he turned into an amazing reporter. So, we all go through these transitions, right? Like, getting married, changing jobs, having kids, whatever. And these moments can be opportunities for big change. Remember, the same thing can affect everyone differently.

Becoming someone different starts with a moment, and then it turns into a process. It’s like Julia Child suddenly discovering she loved French food!

But it is hard to know what a new life will be like. It's like the "Vampire Problem," where you can't know what it's like to be a vampire unless you are one. The only way to really know what a new life will be like is to, like, live it. But, sometimes, you can kinda sample things before committing.

But when things are already settled, we don’t want to take risks, you know? Jerker Denrell calls it a ‘competency trap’. Being good at one thing can actually stop you from becoming good at something else.

Then there’s the ‘hot stove effect’, right? You know, the cat that sat on a hot stove. The cat will never sit on a hot stove again. But the cat will never sit on a cold one, either.

Like, let’s say you can become a chef, study physics, or be a plumber. You try plumbing first, but you’re not great. You try the chef thing, and it goes great, you’re improving! But you still don’t know if physics is your *best* option, even though you tried something and were successful at it. But you might be better at physics! It’s tough to realize that something that’s hard at first might be the best option in the long run. Don’t let it paralyze you. Be comfortable being incompetent as you try things. The more you branch out, the more you can find out what you're really good at.

It’s like Ray Kroc and McDonald’s. So, like, sometimes transformation is a messy thing. It all starts with a realization or a decision.

So, yeah, late bloomers tend to work to improve themselves over time. They see life as a long process. They’re always becoming themselves. Some people have those big moments where something happens. Some people evolve slowly and deliberately. It can involve both. You don’t have to wait for your luck to change! Some people just go for it. Like Audrey Sutherland, she’s was a total badass who adventured solo into Alaska. Her motto? “Go simple. Go solo. Go now.” Pretty cool, huh?