Especially in my age group (50+), I notice that many of my peers are very much concerned with protecting what they have built during their life. This can be their job and career, their reputation, their relationships or their habits. In many ways, there is nothing wrong with that, but it does put one easily in a holding pattern where there is little in terms of progress and development. Often, the patterns have been in place for decades and breaking these is hard. The challenge is that progress comes from taking intentional risks and making proactive moves towards doing new things, rather than waiting to react when forced. In American English this is often referred to as playing defense or playing offense. During recent years, I have taken on several challenges that are completely new to me (like getting my hunting license) and that I initially completely suck at (think shooting clay pigeons with a shotgun). But it forces me to grow and develop new skills. So, to reflect on today: are you playing offense? And if you’re not, what are you going to do about it?