“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis
For many years people have set for themselves life goals based on their age. For instance, “By the age of “X”, I want to have children; by the age of “Y”, I want to buy my own house; by the age of “Z”, I want to start my business etc.” This trend is old-fashioned and needs to be abandoned.
It’s never too late to start doing what you want to do. Thankfully, being creative and innovative doesn’t come with an age limit. Of course, we should all have life goals, anchor them to relevant milestones and work to get them done as soon as possible. However, the world has evolved significantly and our traditional concept of tying personal achievement targets to age is now at odds with our evolving society.
There are numerous examples of people who have accomplished a great deal at a seeming old age; Nelson Mandela became President of South Africa after serving 27 years in prison at the age of 76; Da Vinci painted the very popular ‘Mona Lisa’ – probably the most popular painting in the history of mankind, when he was 51; Colonel Sanders opened the first KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) franchise when he was 65; Charles Flint founded IBM (International Business Machines) out of a time-card punching technology firm at the age of 61. These clearly shows that Age is nothing but a number, if they can do it, so can you. It’s about knowing what you want and going after it.
Hence, the thinking that you are probably too old or late to pursue a particular dream or goal, represents nothing more than a deep-rooted fear of failure.
You’re never too old to start learning and you’re never too young to aim high and achieve great things. – Asa Hutchinson
Here Are 3 Reasons Why Your Age Should Never Be A Barrier to You Getting Things done:
1. With Age Comes Experience
The more experienced you are, the more skills you can bring to a new job or profession. Age can actually work in your favour. – John Allen
The most obvious and undeniable benefit of starting later in life is the fact that you now have years of life experiences to pull from in your new adventure. You are seasoned in the ways of the world and you have a level of experience that you didn’t have when you were younger. You’ve been through some ups and downs; you can bring some balance that a younger person can’t. There are some experiences you can’t gain without living through it. The older you are, the more experienced you’d be. As a result, that experience can help you achieve whatsoever you want in life if you have the right attitude.
“The past is unalterable in any event. The future is the only thing we can change. Learning the lessons of the past is the only way to shape the present and the future.” – Jim Butcher
2. With Age Comes a Wider Network
“Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.” – John Lennon
At this stage of your life, you have likely built a large and diverse network of peers, colleagues, potential clients and customers. This network can help you – like its often said; Build it before you need it. Throughout your life, you should be focused on making connections with other valuable professionals in and outside of your industry. Keep in mind that the people you connect with over the years connect with others, who connect with others… it creates a chain that could pay serious dividends in the future. You just never know when a connection of yours knows someone else who is looking for a person of your skillset.
So, you need to mine and tap into that network. Whatever you want to do – if you are deliberate about it, you have the network to make it happen.
3. With Age Comes You Knowing yourself
As the years go by, you get to know yourself better and learn what works for you – Marie Helvin
Life experiences would have revealed your strengths and weaknesses, now you can play to your strength in the things you want to do. It’s okay if it took you a while to discover your passion. Now you know what you enjoy doing—and what you don’t—and can tailor a new adventure to fit that.
“People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.” – Paulo Coelho
It is never too late to get started on a new path of success. It’s never too late to do, to say, to achieve – to start being you. Do not let self-fabricated, invisible boundaries stop you from doing anything you feel capable of doing. And even when you think you might not be capable, give it a shot. You will be amazed by the result!
The only time it’s too late to make a change in your life and be who you want to be is when you’re dead. Apart from this, it’s never too late. Of course, life is hard and filled with complexities. It’s challenging and stressful and we all have bills to pay. However, most often than not our limiting beliefs and perceptions are what makes things appear harder than they really are.
Do you want to do something? Get it done! Don’t allow age to be a barrier.
Remember, You Have Only One Life to Live, MAKE IT COUNT!
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