Nostalgia Is Lazy

I remember when the iPod came out. Suddenly, everyone I knew downloaded their entire record collection.

Then they’d spend hours bathing in the musical memories of their youth telling anyone who’d listen that “they just don’t make music like that anymore.”

They’d complain that there’s no good music now. But here’s the thing: they weren’t even looking.

This is nostalgia at its laziest.

It’s easy to romanticise the past but doing so blinds us to the present and the future.

If You’re Looking Backwards, You Won’t See the Train Coming

At some point, many of us over 40 pause and reflect on where we are and how we got here. Sometimes, it all feels accidental.

Nostalgia is comforting, sure but it can also be a suffocating blanket. It keeps you stuck. It stops you from seeing the opportunities right in front of you.

The truth? The world is better than it was.

It might not feel that way especially if you’re doomscrolling social media but take a step back: progress is happening.

Technology. Workplace attitudes. Cultural shifts.

Clinging to outdated tools, mindsets, or ways of doing things only holds us back.

You have to be deliberate to see this. You need to get out of your bubble.

Act like an anthropologist. Take field notes. See what interests you. Learn new things from new people.

The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

One way to break free from the rose-tinted past is to reinterpret old ideas through a modern lens.

If Benjamin Franklin were alive today, he’d have a Substack, Beehiiv, or personal newsletter (imagine that subscriber count).

Check out retrospekt.com—they make modern versions of old electronics like Walkmans, Polaroid cameras, and typewriters.

Top 5 Ways To Break Free From the Past and Embrace the Future:

1. Deliberate Observation of Your Surroundings Act like an anthropologist. Take field notes. Step outside your routine. Notice industry shifts, workplace changes, and community developments. Conferences, reports, networking pay attention.

2. Modernize Old Ideas Adapt proven strategies using today’s tools. What “old” ideas can you reshape with modern tech? Innovation isn’t always invention it’s often re-imagination.

3. Question Comforting Nostalgia Nostalgia can be a trap. When you find yourself romanticising the past, ask: What am I missing right now? Is that memory the whole story or just the parts I want to remember?

4. Embrace Lifelong Learning Get comfortable being a beginner again. Courses, workshops, mentors whatever it takes to stay current. Knowledge is the ultimate future-proofing strategy.

5. Network Outside Your Comfort Zone Connect with people from different backgrounds, ages, and industries. Events, communities, volunteering fresh connections create fresh opportunities.

Final Thoughts on Looking Past the Past

If you’re wondering “Is it too late?” the answer is no.

But only if you’re willing to look forward.

Nostalgia has its place. Just don’t let it hold you back.

Stay curious. Be deliberate. Experiment.

And remember this can be fun too.