I Thought I’d Be More Grounded at 40. Instead, My Patience [at Work] Vanished. | by Aldric Chen | The Startup | Aug, 2025

I miss the old me

Press enter or click to view image in full size

It’s Sunday. 517 in the afternoon.

I just had lunch with my parents. We spoke a lot about nothing. Your cousin’s cat fell sick. Your uncle sells watermelons now.

This is our typical family talk. Frivolous. Pointless. Loads of laughter.

I would walk my parents home after lunch and then to my work desk at home. So far, nothing has changed since the past… 20 years?

That is… until I realized that I take forever to start working on this piece you are reading.

I’ve changed.

And I just realized it.

The line I just crossed

Mentally, I am still me.

My ambitions are intact. My drive to achieve them burns fiercely. Die a billionaire. Run multiple businesses. Master market trading. Be wealthy. Owns 10 Philippe Patek timepieces.

That part of me did not age. I thank God for that.

But my stamina at work and in life is starting to show signs of metabolic breakdown. Sundays used to be my half-and-half day. Rest half, work half.