It's Never Too Late to Start

Your age is just a number and your time is now.

I’m Reid! I write about my life experiences and how we can all live in brave new ways. Dare You is a reader-supported publication. To receive weekly posts and support my work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Last Wednesday morning, in an attempt to beat the heat, I rolled out of bed at 7 a.m., slipped on  my running shoes, and set out on a walk around the lake. Long walks are one of my favorite ways to clear my head and get reenergized. But If I’m going to do it this time of year and not sweat my ass off, it must be done at the crack of dawn to beat the heat. As I turned the trail at its halfway point, I saw these two young girls with beautiful blonde hair walking towards me. They appeared to be in their early 20’s if I had to guess. They seemed to be in the thick of conversation, and as they passed me, I overheard one say, “So yeah, I’m thinking about going into sports…like sports journalism”

The way she said it kind of made me laugh, and then I thought to myself how lucky they were to be so young and have their whole lives ahead of them. I remember the buzz and eagerness of being in my early 20’s and having my whole life ahead of me with endless possibilities.

I began to feel a bit frustrated with myself. Why is it that as we grow older, starting something new seems more and more daunting? Like a steeper hill to climb? I’ve noticed the thought that we are “too old to start something” or have “run out of time” is more common in women. It would make sense… So much of our value is falsely placed on our beauty and youth that getting older may seem like a death sentence.

I notice people will use their age as the reason to not start something, saying, “oh no, I’m too old for that.” I find myself falling into that trap from time to time despite my natural optimism and energy to create. The past year has been all about new beginnings and new projects for me, and I find myself feeling more inspired and energetic right now than I have in a long time. I want to keep this expansive mindset where I can start anything I want at any age for the rest of my life because I know that having this mindset IS how we stay young.

What if the odds of success are even more in your favor If you start when you are a bit older than the “ideal age” for starting? You have more experience, more knowledge, you know your strengths and your weaknesses. You care less about looking cool and more about adding value. You feel more comfortable in your body and understand that there is no such thing as perfect. It’s never too late to start.

-Reid