By the time you reach your 50s, life can present a wonderful opportunity to try new things and take more risks, Cathy Smith has found.

Your kids have grown up and you start thinking about whether you’ve done enough to leave a legacy to be proud of, she says. That’s why Smith gave up the comfort of a 25-year career with IBM to become the general manager of Cisco SA in April, choosing to set new goals and ambitions rather than coast towards retirement.