Is there such a thing as too old to change their ways?

I always thought that It’s never too late or too old to start a thing or to change your ways is a phrase that I’ll agree but to some extent. In fact, “the concept of being ‘too old’ for a career reset is increasingly outdated,” Patrice Lindo, CEO of Career Nomad, a consulting firm, tells CNBC Make It.

This is especially true in today’s post-pandemic world, as many professionals have explored different ways of working, from passive income streams to remote jobs, in the past three years. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, roughly 22% of workers across the nation considered changing careers, according to a recent Zippia report.

• Generally, younger and middle-aged people are more likely to change careers than older employees. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, roughly 22% of workers across the nation considered changing careers. When broken down by age, 30% of 18 to 39-year-olds considered switching jobs compared to only 12% of people aged 50 or older. Meanwhile, 21% of employees between 40 and 49 years old considered a career change. That means approximately 1 in 3 U.S. workers under the age of 40 have thought about switching jobs since the start of the pandemic.

“sadly, 
sometimes it’s too late. 
and that’s the thing about time, 
we cannot get it back.”— KIANA AZIZIAN

• Studies of personality development often focus on traits such as extroversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, and openness to new experiences. In most people, these traits change more during young adulthood than in any other period of life, including adolescence.
• Openness typically increases during a person’s 20s and goes into a gradual decline after that.
• This pattern of personality development seems to hold across cultures. Although some see that as evidence that genes determine our personality, many researchers theorize that personality traits change during young adulthood because this is a time of life when people assume new roles: finding a partner, starting a family, and beginning a career.
• Personality can continue to change somewhat in middle and old age, but openness to new experiences tends to decline gradually until about age 60. After that, some people become more open again, perhaps because their responsibilities for raising a family and earning a living have been lifted.

The Difficult Reality The adage “it’s never too late” is frequently used since the alternative can be harmful. One example of the opposing style of thinking is when people feel great internal pressure to do X, Y, and Z by a specific deadline age. Then, they place so much pressure on themselves to accomplish goals—buy a house, get married, hold a particular job title, create a million-dollar business, etc.—that they push themselves to finish tasks whether they should or not to meet deadlines.

Another instance would be if they feel they are “too old” to learn, adapt, try something new, or make a significant decision. They so use it as a justification for continuing to be inflexible and set in their ways, holding onto their old lifestyle out of fear of pursuing something better. I disagree with that mindset too. While having objectives with a timetable rather than a deadline is undoubtedly beneficial and significant, you can’t always predict when you’ll complete tasks. Extreme unpredictability characterizes life. It may come about sooner than you anticipate, longer than you anticipate, or not at all.

You’re never “too old,” in my opinion, to do anything. Who cares what age you are if you believe it’s worth a try or if it will improve your life, health, happiness, and more? Now go ahead and reap the benefits again. Regardless of your age—25, 55, or 85—you have an abundance of amazing experiences, happy memories, and untapped potential to discover on this amazing adventure called life. But even while saying so, I have to emphasize the crucial and constant truth that time is a finite resource. Furthermore, just because something may wait, doesn’t imply it should.

5 Roadblocks To a Change in Life

1. Our thoughts.  All of our actions are controlled by our thoughts.  Sometimes we are our own worst enemies.  Many times we fall short of success in many areas of our lives because of our thoughts.  I have heard people saying the following words:

– I’m too old to _____.

– I’m too young to _____.

– I don’t have enough time in a day.

– I’m not good enough.

It is never too late, but it is quite easy to talk yourself out of success.  Stop talking yourself out of being successful and find a way to hold those thoughts back. One way to change these thoughts is to be selective about what you let into your mind.

2. Listening to negativity.  Do not let negativity break or shatter your success.  You are better than any negativity that may try to discourage you from being successful.  Do not listen whether it is a friend, family member, co-worker, boss, or just a plain “hater.”  I usually do not focus on the haters, but with this point, I have to mention them to tell you to ignore them.

3. Living larger than life.  When we think we are bigger than life, we then start getting “cocky.” Stay humble and remember that we were created to help others.  It is never about one individual; it has always been about a team.  In the case of life, it is about giving and serving others.

4. Living in a box.  It is natural for us to hold to our routines and form habits. There is nothing wrong with routines or good habits, but success comes with taking risks.  We have to get out of the box and expose ourselves to new things, so we can grow.  Do not get stuck in a box because of your fear of taking risks.  Discover ways of challenging your mind. 

5. Memories.  How many times have you heard or have you said, “I wish things were like they used to be.”  When you get caught up in past accomplishments, you end up limiting your success.  The same is so for focusing on past failures.  Instead of emphasizing your memories, focus on the present and how you plan to move forward.

Powerful Ways That Help You To Change Your Life

1.     The present is what matters.
When you’re busy concentrating on what has been, or what will be, you rob yourself of the moment. Be here with the present, because right here, right now is where the change you want begins.

2.     Everything changes.
Life rarely goes as planned, and most of us end up in a career that’s nothing like we expected. If you can accept that change will be happening at every step, you can turn anything around. You don’t have to linger in your failures or wallow in the things that went wrong.

3.     We all get derailed.
We all put on such a good front for each other, but if you ask people about their failures and truly listen to what they’ve been through, you’ll realize that everyone has struggles, wrong turns that left them on uncharted roads, and detours that they had no clue how to navigate. If you can accept your derailment as a new path instead of an obstacle, you’ll have an easier time getting through it.

4.     Start in small increments.
If you’re turning around something big, start small. Give yourself baby steps and small wins, until you start to build momentum.

5.     Focus on the journey, not the destination.
If all you can think about is where you’re headed, you’ll lose touch with where you are. Every step of the way has its wisdom lessons and beauty, so don’t miss out by getting ahead of yourself.

6.     Don’t make excuses.
It’s natural to try to explain away why you may have messed up or failed. Excuses might help you save your pride (that is, assuming the people around you accept them), but they will do absolutely nothing to advance you toward your goals. Far better to simply own it and move on in a spirit of self-acceptance.

7.     Risks are worth taking.
Especially if you’ve been burned before you might be understandably wary of risk-taking behavior, but in most situations the best thing you can do is take another chance–or even a different version of the same chance again. You cannot protect yourself from failure without also protecting yourself from your happiness.

8.     Discomfort is OK.
There’s a strange but widespread idea that success comes without difficulty, but with rare exceptions that’s far from the truth. When you learn to be okay with discomfort is the moment you turn that feeling into an action of personal growth.

9.     Safety is an illusion.
We all seek to be safe, but that safety is always an illusion. The moment you accept this is the moment you can be free to try all the things you were scared to try. The false seduction of safety is always more dangerous than the alternative.

10. Surround yourself with the right kind of people.
You can surround yourself with the wrong people and keep doing the wrong things, or surround yourself with the right people and start doing the right things. You’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with, so be brave enough to let go of those who weigh you down and stick with the ones who reflect who you want to be and how you want to feel.

11. Uncertainty is the only certainty.
You can’t possibly know exactly how things will turn out, so if you give in to your desire to see the path ahead, you’ll avoid life-changing opportunities for safer, more predictable options. It is how we embrace uncertainty in our lives that leads to the great transformation of our souls.

Conclusion

This post ought to feel like a wake-up call even though it shouldn’t be sad or make you feel horrible. Not everything in life is sunshine and rainbows; occasionally you need a quick kick in the ass to wake you up, focus,  get serious, and get going while you still have the energy. It’s about realizing that time is going and that you need to put in the time, effort, and work if you truly want the things you want. It’s not about putting unnecessary pressure on yourself or getting nervous. There aren’t any shortcuts. It’s about realizing that now is the best time to start, regardless of the challenges, obstacles, or problems you are facing at the moment.

References

Yeung, A. (n.d.). It Might Be Too Late. Anthony J. Yeung. https://www.anthonyjyeung.com/it-might-be-too-late/

MTN Universal. (n.d.). 5 Roadblocks to a Successful Life. MTN Universal. https://www.mtnuniversal.com/blogs/5-roadblocks-to-a-successful-life

Daskal, L. (n.d.). 11 Powerful Ways Anyone Can Turn Their Life Around at Any Age. Inc. https://www.inc.com/lolly-daskal/11-powerful-ways-anyone-can-turn-their-life-around-at-any-age.html