Do you have big goals for 2023 but are worried that you might have started too late in life? I love setting goals for myself but I too admit at times I ask myself, why didn’t I start this earlier?? Maybe you have decided to start a side hustle, get healthier or improve your language skills. Is all hope lost after a certain age?
During my uber long commutes to work I like to be entertained by learning something new. That’s when I was drawn in by the topic of “How to find joy and success as a Late Bloomer” on the TED Radio Hour podcast. The interview with Professor/ Network Scientist/ Physicist Albert-Laszlo Barabasi was especially interesting. He challenged the idea that older people especially scientist could not have the success of their younger counterparts. Professor Barabasi shared a quote that may or may not originate from Albert Einstein: “The person who has not made his great contribution to science by the age of 30 will never do so.” Ouch!
Professor Barabasi concluded that this was because the people around Einstein were all in their 20’s to 30’s when they made their discoveries, basically, he generalized from his limited exposure. This begged the question, when and how do scientist succeed? According to Professor Barabasi’s research, the vast majority of scientist published their highest impact work within the first 20 years of their career. For the Professor who has been working as a scientist for 30 years the likelihood that he would publish something with a higher impact than in his early days drops to 1% ! Yikes! It all starts to sound quite harsh until he reveals there’s a missing control: “Every Paper Written Has a Chance of Being your Personal Best.”
You Have to Be In It To Win It
According to Professor Barabasi, discovery is like a lottery ticket. The more lottery tickets you purchase, the more likely you are to win. Most scientists purchase their tickets in the first 10-15 years of their career, therefore, their success is greater in their early years.
We can apply this logic to any field. We’ve all heard the saying, “you have to be in it to win it”, the first step is to try. Nothing happens if we don’t put one foot in front of the other so to speak. Publish that article, put that item up for sale or take your first language class, get yourself out there!
Success Can Come At Any time
Is there any connection between age and success? Professor Barabasi goes on to say, the older the scientists become the less productive they are. There is no connection between creativity and age, there is only a connection between productivity and age. If we want success later in life we have to stay active, keep producing, be passionate about what you are doing.
“I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate.”
Julia Child
I love the example of Julia Child, she admits to learning to cook in her 30’s. She published her book, Mastering The Art of French Cooking, when she was 40 years old. She became a charismatic TV chef at the age of 50 on her show, The French Chef. She won multiple Emmy awards, a Peabody award and became the 1st woman included into the Culinary Institute of America’s Hall of Fame, among many other accomplishments. It all started when she took the initiative to enroll in cooking lessons at Le Cordon Bleu which takes us back to, you have to be in it to win it. Julia Child’s determination helped her overcome several obstacles and challenges and she left a legacy of culinary art and education.
Success for Entrepreneurs
You may be reading this article as a current or future entrepreneur. What’s the difference between the success of a company founded by someone older versus someone younger? Professor Barabasi states, the older you are, the more likely you are to sell your company or hit the stock market successfully. He brought this example: If you are in your 50’s you are twice as likely to have a successful exit than if you are in your 30’s. Does that mean we should steer clear of young entrepreneurs? Not necessarily. We should invest in anyone who has the tools and track record for success no matter their age and don’t ignore those with gray hairs.
Personally I’ve thought about starting different businesses throughout the years and have spent much time managing several retail locations. Although my gray hairs sprung up while I was still in elementary school, I feel like at this point in my life I am beginning to earn them. Many have spent their 20’s becoming successful tech entrepreneurs, but I’ve used that time to gain wisdom, knowledge and insight so my brand can stand the test of time.
What Are the Joys of Being a Late Bloomer?
I really love the words of writer Doree Shafrir, What are the joys of being a late bloomer? Learning who you are, being content with who you are, being happy with who you are.
Here are my words of wisdom for business and life: Reject the timeline and pressures of society, stay creative, don’t give up, you can be successful at any age!
Higher Level Language 