#93 - The Next Thirty Years
- Pawel Pietruszewski
- Sep 3
- 3 min read
A while ago, I began to reflect on my career
After thirty years in finance, there isn’t much left that surprises me. It’s a field of deep knowledge and sharp instincts, but after enough time, it can begin to feel like you’re walking a well-worn path. Daniel Kahneman describes this condition as the “expertise trap.” Expert intuition only works reliably in environments that are regular enough to be predictable. In today’s fast-changing world, that stability is rare. And that’s a major reason why, over time, experts often lose their creative edge. We come to rely on patterns we’ve seen before, but turbulent times demand new perspectives, new ideas, and constant reinvention.
Still, it’s not a dead end. Barbara Oakley offers an alternative: a shift into a new discipline where your existing skills still hold value, but your beginner’s mind gets a second life. A soldier turned project manager. A manager turned educator. Stepping into a new field allows you to see differently to question assumptions others take for granted. That kind of cross-disciplinary thinking can be a powerful source of innovation.
But how long is a career, really? Should we consider those radical shifts, getting out of our comfort zones, taking risks, as essential, rather than optional?
Rethinking Career Longevity
The 80,000 Hours Organisation suggests a typical career spans 80,000 hours, based on working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year, for 40 years. I don't necessarily agree with this calculation. It’s a tidy calculation, but it’s also outdated. It assumes retirement at 65, followed by an idle phase of life. That made sense in the 1950s, when life expectancy hovered around 65. But the world has changed. Life expectancy in many countries now exceeds 85, and many of us are fortunate to reach that age in good physical and mental health.
So maybe the better question is: what if a full career isn't 80,000 hours, but 120,000? What if our active life doesn’t end at retirement, but continues, evolving, deepening, and adapting for decades beyond the traditional endpoint?
The Next Chapter
That’s the question I asked myself as I looked toward the next stage of my life. I had a choice: stay in finance another ten years, then retire and live a peaceful rentier life. Or, I could start something new. Something that would challenge me, stretch me, and give me a sense of purpose for the next thirty years.
Founding the Resilient Institute Warsaw was my first step toward that future, a project I call “The Next Thirty Years.” It’s an ongoing experiment in reinvention. As of September 1st, I’ve taken another big step: I joined the faculty at Kozminski University. This is a major milestone. It gives me a platform to grow, to contribute, and to learn within a respected academic community.
And within that community is someone who’s played an important role in my journey: Professor Jerzy Cieślik. We met fifteen years ago, and his mentorship has shaped my development in research in a fundamental way. I’ve often written about the importance of social connection in building resilience. It’s not just a personal belief, it’s a fact. Connected communities build resilient individuals, and strong relationships open doors, guide transitions, and create unexpected opportunities.
Looking Ahead
So here I am, starting again. Energized, curious, and, for the first time in a long while, feeling the kind of motivation that comes from being slightly out of my depth, but excited to learn.
Stay with me. The project continues, and it's already given me more fun, purpose, and energy than I’ve had in years.
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References and Notes
Oakley, B. (2017). Mindshift: break through obstacles to learning and discover your hidden potential. Penguin.
80,000 Hours Org - is part of is a project of the Effective Ventures group. Other projects under this umbrella include Giving What We Can and the Centre for Effective Altruism.
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