The Lie of Being "Too Late"
Lies We Tell Ourselves: Part 1
The belief that you’re “too late” to chase your dreams, start a new career, or reinvent yourself is just that—a belief, not a fact. Your time hasn’t passed—it’s right now.
The Myth of a Fixed Timeline
We’ve been sold deadlines: launch a business by 30, settle down by 35, retire by 65. From the time we fill out that little career finder quiz in our junior year of high school, someone else is telling us what our life’s timeline will be. Success is based not just on achievement, but on being young when we achieve.
The reality is, the timeline isn’t truth - it’s a social construct. Research from the American Psychological Association (2020) proves meaningful life pivots happen at any age.
“Many people think the way we grow older is genetically determined,” says Manfred Diehl, a lifespan developmental psychologist at Colorado State University. “That misconception is dangerous because it prevents many adults from taking action that could help them age in a more positive way.” [Source]
Vera Wang entered fashion at 40; Ray Kroc scaled McDonald’s in his 50s. According to research, the average age of CEOs at Fortune 500 companies is about 59.2, with the majority clustered between ages 50 and 69.
When we buy into this fixed timeline, our dreams and passions can become buried under a sea of shame. We lean into the cruel things people have said to us or the low marks we got on exams, and we choose to let other people dictate who we can be and where our road can take us.
Speaking Truth to the Lie
The reality is, very few people follow the university > career > success timeline. Your life doesn’t have to fit into someone else’s schedule, and here’s a harsh reality for you as well: you can’t age backwards. You will just keep getting older. Ten years from now, you will be ten years older. Will you be ten years closer to accomplishing what you want to in your life?
Here are a few truths that can help you pivot your mindset:
1. Tell yourself the truth
A 2015 study published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience asserts that positive self-affirmation shows up in our neural reward pathways. Other studies support the same truth: positive self-talk will change your life. What does that mean when it comes to it being ‘too late’? It means if you keep telling yourself it’s too late for you, your brain will believe you. If you, however, pivot to telling yourself it’s not too late and you’re ready for a change, your confidence will increase, and everyone around you will see it.
2. Time is relative, not absolute
Kate Lee shares these wise words in the Harvard Business Review: “Life is an evolution. What makes sense for 20-year-old you is not necessarily what makes sense for 30-year-old you, and may not make sense for the 60-year-old you. We experience new things as we are exposed to them. We meet new people. Our lives change. We change. It’s ok to change our jobs and careers in response to these changes in and to our lives.”
Late-life career changes often lead to a more fulfilling life, thanks to the wisdom and experience you’ve built. Your third-quarter (or fourth-quarter) career should be the best of your life.
3. Take action
The best way to combat the lie of ‘too late’ is to take action. James Clear pushes back against the idea of the ‘perfect’ moment with these words: “Obsessing about the ultimate strategy or the ultimate diet or the ultimate golf club can be a clever way to prevent yourself from doing hard work.”
Waiting for that “perfect” moment is how dreams expire. Write a page. Enroll in a course. Call the person. As Clear reminds us, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”
Takeaway:
The “too late” story is self-written. Rewrite it. Your time is now.
About the Author
Paul Scribner is CEO of Raven Resources Corp and General Holdings Limited, leading investment and private equity ventures across real estate, structured finance, private credit, and industrials. Based in Dubai and Dallas, he combines high-level strategy with a passion for dismantling the myths that hold people back—whether in business, leadership, or personal growth.