[Voices of the MZ Generation Column] A Mindset for Preparing for the Second Half of Life

Many Storms May Come After Your 40s
Abilities and Health Are Needed Alongside Money

Attorney Jiwoo Jeong · Cultural Critic

Personally, I consider the first 40 years up to one's 30s as the first half of life, and the next 40 years from the 40s as the second half. After that, it might be called overtime. Anyway, now that I am approaching the end of the first half of life, I reflect on one mindset to embrace the second half. That is, the second half is also a genuine game. It is not the beginning of eternal stability and rest after the game ends, but rather a period that may involve even more instability and change.

Even while working as a lawyer, I meet more people in the second half of life than those in the first half. Fraud cases tend to become more serious when people have accumulated some assets, rather than when they are young adults with little money. Couples generally try to unite while raising young children during their newlywed years, but as the children grow and the marriage lengthens, issues like infidelity or divorce become more common. Family disputes over inheritance or becoming enemies among business partners also frequently occur in the second half of life.

Usually, when young, it is easy to believe that after going through major life events such as employment, dating, and marriage, stability will gradually come with age. However, life does not always work that way. Children may get involved in school violence when they enter middle or high school, the body may not cooperate due to menopause and other health issues, and pressure to resign from work may gradually increase. Starting a business after resignation and failing, losing all assets or experiencing financial decline mostly happens in the second half of life. Parents falling ill or passing away is also mainly an event of the second half of life.

Therefore, life is somewhat tiring in that one can never completely let their guard down and must live each day as if preparing. The first half of life seems like a kind of warm-up process to prepare for the second half. Various insurances and pensions should be prepared in advance, and instead of living too much like 'YOLO,' one should gradually accumulate assets and prepare for various situations. If lucky, there may be parents or life seniors who take care of all these things, but usually, one needs to pay attention and manage them individually.

As such, the second half of life may unexpectedly bring various hardships unimaginable in the first half. Therefore, it would be good to have some preparations for the second half. Financial preparations are important, but money is not everything. Recently, I published a book titled "What Do You Have Besides Money," which reflects the idea that there are important things in life we need to build besides money. Various abilities, relationships, and health should be accumulated in life like savings.

It would be good to cultivate a mindset to create good days with loved ones and to have hobbies together. Continue to steadily build on existing abilities, but also look for new challenges to try. For example, there are many cases worldwide of people debuting in their 40s and becoming very famous writers, like Raymond Chandler or Julian Barnes. It is also necessary to start exercising for health.

By steadily preparing and running for 10 years, then another 10 years, the time will come when life gradually winds down. While running well like that, I hope we can continue to love the daily scenery without forgetting it. Life definitely becomes a meaningful long game for those who live well prepared. From a certain point, it should not be about living because one cannot die, but about continuing a valuable and good run until the very end.

Jiw Woo Jung, Lawyer & Cultural Critic