Last month, I bumped into an old friend at a gathering. He had just retired, and I asked him what his plans were. He gave me a sheepish grin and said,

Honestly, I haven’t thought that far. I didn’t expect to feel this… empty.

He’s 60. He has his health, enough savings, a supportive family. But something still felt off. He didn’t expect the emptiness. He hadn’t imagined the sense of drift that followed freedom.

And the truth is — he’s not alone. That quiet discomfort is more common than we admit. The tight structure of a job and other responsibilities has suddenly evaporated.

The Gift of Time

For decades, We’re malleable now, but with more insight and stability.

So this age, it’s not a wind-down. It is a whole new act. Maybe it’s time to reframe the idea of longevity. Let’s not look at it as a delay to the inevitable. Let’s see it as a gift of time. Not just more time to exist — but more time to become.

A Personal Milestone

For me, the trigger for a different life came when I finally exited my company, Mirum, after almost 15 years. I had a reasonably long list of things I wanted to do — consulting, mentoring, teaching, investing, contributing to society, travelling. It felt like I would finally have the time to pursue all this in earnest.

And I did get going. But about 3–4 months in, I began to feel something was missing. As I reflected more deeply, I realised that my core strength — and perhaps my true joy — lay in creating something. Seeing an idea come alive. Without that creative process, the other activities began to feel insufficient. I was torn. Should I start one more venture at this stage in life?

Eventually, I did take the plunge. And I’m glad I did. Along the way, there were many moments that made it worthwhile — learning to play golf, slowly getting the hang of it; mentoring startups, even in deep tech spaces where I could add real value. Not everything clicked. I didn’t enjoy teaching, as it turned out. But I had to go through it to realise that. And for that, I’m grateful.

Purpose

It’s not about bucket lists. It’s not “jump out of a plane” or “visit 40 countries.” I mean, sure — do those things if you want to. But this isn’t about thrill-seeking. It’s about purpose.

Now that word — purpose — sounds heavy sometimes. Like something that needs to be discovered on a mountaintop or announced on a TED stage. But maybe it’s simpler than that. Maybe it’s just about feeling engaged. Feeling like you’re still becoming someone, not just wrapping things up.

Purpose can be waking up and going for a walk with someone you enjoy talking to. It can be mentoring someone younger. Or starting that blog you’ve had in your head for five years. Heck, it could even be learning how to make really good sourdough bread. It doesn’t matter what it is. What matters is that you care.

If you knew you had another 30 years, what would change? Would you learn something new? Start something small? Revisit a half-finished idea? Reconnect with someone you lost touch with?

In our 20s and 30s, time felt infinite. In our 40s and 50s, it began to feel transactional.

As far as I am concerned, I started HomeIndia.com when I was in my mid-30s, as the Internet arrived in India and the opportunity presented itself. At that time it felt like I was racing against a new breed of younger dotcom entrepreneurs. While HomeIndia.com was an amazing experience, it did not deliver the commercial result I had hoped for. So, in my mid-40s, I started Social Wavelength with a very clear plan — to build wealth and secure my family’s future. And just into my 50s, when we received an acquisition offer, it felt important to lock it in. Each of these steps reflected a mindset that evolved with the age.

But post-60, time feels meaningful. Not because it’s scarce, but because it’s finally mine to use with intention.

A New View on Longevity

Longevity isn’t just about diet, sleep, or supplements. It’s about mindset. About what we do with the years that modern life has quietly handed back to us. And maybe, the best use of this gift is to stop treating it like borrowed time. It’s earned time. It’s deserved. Well-earned. And awaiting direction.

What could I make possible with it?