In this solo episode, Zoë Routh explores one of the biggest questions leaders and humans face: how should we think about time, and what does it mean for how we live and lead?
Drawing from her Chrysalis workshops on late-career transitions, Sarah Wilson’s book I Eat the Stars, and her own experiences of writing, rebranding, and reconnecting with readers, Zoë invites us into a wider perspective on life, purpose, and mortality.
She shares exciting developments in her author world, including the merging of her fiction and leadership work under a new umbrella called The Long Game, work on second editions of her early books, and progress on her first historical novel, The Pearl and the Dagger
At the heart of the episode is a meditation on time. From the lifespan of the Earth and the eventual death of the universe to the accelerating experience of decades as we age, Zoë explores how a long-view perspective can help us loosen our grip on anxiety and return to what matters most right now.
She reflects on the seasons of life, from childhood wonder and achievement years to post-achievement transitions and the possibility of cultivation, wisdom, and savoring in later decades. Ultimately, she offers an invitation to live gratefully, love deeply, and make the most of our brief but precious existence.
Summary
Zoë shares personal updates:
The Long Game and Living with Perspective – Zooming out to the scale of decades, the lifespan of the Earth, and even the universe itself, Zoë explores how a wider perspective can help us hold today’s worries more lightly and return to what matters most.
Identity, Meaning, and Late-Career Transitions – Through her Chrysalis workshops, Zoë reflects on why identity, purpose, and philosophy come before answering the practical question of “What should I do next?”
Why Time Feels Different as We Age – Childhood years feel endless, while later decades seem to accelerate. Zoë examines how our relationship with time shifts and why this invites us to be more intentional with the years ahead.
Life Stages Beyond Achievement – From magical childhood and achiever years to post-achiever transitions, cultivation, exploration, wisdom, and savoring, Zoë offers a framework for imagining the seasons of a meaningful life.
Collapse Awareness and Living Beautifully – Inspired by Sarah Wilson’s I Eat the Stars, Zoë reflects on mortality, ecological realities, and why confronting impermanence can deepen gratitude and compassion.
Authoring the Next Chapter – From rebranding under The Long Game to writing fiction and revisiting earlier books, Zoë shares why this stage of life is less about reinvention and more about continuing to cultivate what matters.
Thought-Provoking Questions for Leaders, focusing on:
What would change if you viewed your life through the lens of decades rather than deadlines?
If you had five more decades, what would you cultivate?
Which season of life are you currently in, achiever, post-achiever, cultivator, explorer, wisdom keeper, or savorer?
What matters most to you right now?
Where are you making life harder than it needs to be?
How might a longer perspective help you live more lightly and lovingly?
Key Quotes
“Choose to live well and lightly now.” - Zoë Routh
“If I have five decades ahead of me, or five days, how can I live gratefully and beautifully?” - Zoë Routh
“Our time on Earth is finite. What shall I do to make the most of it?” - Zoë Routh
“Sometimes we need to zoom out to the scale of the universe to come back to what matters today.” - Zoë Routh
“This brief whisper of life is precious, fleeting, and aren’t we lucky?” - Zoë Routh
Questions Explored
How should we think about time as leaders and as humans?
Why does time seem to speed up as we age?
How do identity and purpose shape later-career transitions?
What might our future decades look like if we approach them intentionally?
How can confronting mortality help us live more fully?
What does it mean to play the long game?
Take Action
Expand your perspective. Consider your life in decades, not just days and deadlines.
Identify your season. Reflect on where you are right now and what this stage of life is asking of you.
Focus on what matters. Ask yourself what deserves your energy and attention most.
Cultivate gratitude. Appreciate the ordinary moments and relationships that make life meaningful.
Live more lightly. Notice where you are carrying unnecessary worry or pressure.
Play the long game. Shift from urgency and achievement toward meaning, contribution, and presence.
Key Moments
00:00 Welcome & The Big Question About Time
01:00 Personal Updates & Returning from Canberra
02:10 Rebranding Under The Long Game
03:20 New Editions and Writing Projects
04:20 A Reader Finds The Olympus Project
06:20 Identity and Purpose Through The Chrysalis Program
08:10 Time, Mortality and Making the Most of Life
09:00 Sarah Wilson and Collapse Awareness
10:30 The Lifespan of Earth and the Universe
15:10 Returning to the Present Moment
16:40 Why Time Speeds Up as We Age
18:30 Seasons of Life and Leadership
20:30 Imagining the Decades Ahead
22:00 Living Beautifully in a Finite World
24:00 Closing Reflections & Winter Break
Related episodes on Aging Workforece
409: The Leadership Blind Spot No One Is Talking About with Dan Pontefract
412: Mattering in Midlife: Finding Significance Through Life’s Transitions
413: Stepping Back, Stepping Into: Identity Recalibration in Late Career
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About Zoë Routh
Zoë Routh is a leadership futurist, podcaster, and multiple award-winning author. She works with leaders and teams to navigate future horizons.
She has worked with individuals and teams internationally and in Australia since 1987. From wild Canadian rivers to the Australian Outback, and the Boardroom jungles, Zoë is an adventurist! She facilitates strategy and culture sessions with audacious teams.
Zoë's fourth leadership book, People Stuff - Beyond Personality Problems: An advanced handbook for leadership, won the Book of the Year at the Australian Business Book Awards in 2020. Her fifth book is a near future science fiction dystopian novel, The Olympus Project.
Zoë is the producer of the The Future of Leadership Podcast dedicated to asking “What if…?” and sharing Big Ideas on the Future of Leadership.
Zoë is an outdoor adventurist and enjoys telemark skiing, has run six marathons, is a one-time belly-dancer, has survived cancer, and loves hiking in the high country. She is married to a gorgeous Aussie and is a self-confessed dark chocolate addict.