We are never too old to accomplish our dreams. There really is nothing written that states that we must accomplish our dream by a certain age.
Then why do so many of us feel like we are too old to start something new or to follow our dreams? Is it cultural or societal pressure? This could very well be. We always hear stories or see news headlines of young kids in their teens and twenties making it to the Olympics or starting a tech company. It sometimes makes us feel bad that we have not accomplished those great things.
The fact is, those cases are quite rare. Small fractions of the world’s population actually achieve something so significant at such a young age. Do those achievements actually make them happier than us? Or do the achievements put a lot more pressure on them to keep doing great things?
One of the best things we can do is to stop comparing ourselves to others. Instead compare our current self to our past self
Scott Winterbourne
We honestly don’t know their story and how they got to where they are. So many successful people that we see and look up to did not get where they are in a straight line. Many of them didn’t achieve their success by a specific age either. They never stopped trying.
There is No One Correct Path
Not all those who wander are lost
J.R.R Tolkien
Harrison Ford did not become a movie star right away or as his first job. He worked many jobs, had a few small acting roles and worked as a carpenter into his 30’s. He finally got his break as Han Solo in “Star Wars, A New Hope” when he was 35 years old.
Ray Kroc, the founder of the fast-food chain giant McDonald’s also did many jobs including selling paper cups and milkshake mixers. He didn’t start the McDonald’s fast-food chain until he was 52 years old.
We might not know what we really want to do in life until we have more life experience. Many of us think we know what we want when we are young but that often changes as we get older. As we try different things and discover ourselves more, we will come up with new goals and dreams.
You Are Never Too Old
If you decide on a new dream and you are in your 80’s, there is nothing that says you cannot pursue this new dream.
There are many people that are in their 80’s, 90’s, and 100’s that have run and completed a marathon. A man named Jonathan Mendes from New York ran the New York marathon in 2016 at the age of 96. A woman named Harriette Thompson ran the San Diego Rock N’ Roll Marathon in 2017 at the age of 94.
They both decided that completing a marathon was a dream of theirs and they did not let their age stop them. Neither should you.
I hope this helps to illustrate that there is no specific age you must achieve your dreams by. There is also no one correct path to get to your dreams. Find that path that works for you. Try out many different jobs and hobbies to figure out what it is you really want to do. You may also discover new passions and dreams along the way. Keep going after them, no matter your age. Your happiness is all that matters in the long run.