“Is 31 too old to start over and try something new? ” asked my friend.
Have you ever found yourself day-dreaming about that desirable life you are not living right now? You could be longing for a new career. Why did you take that ‘safe’ career path instead of following your passion? Or perhaps you wish you lived in a different country. Maybe you wish you could start your relationship over with someone new, different or better. The day dream lasts a few brief moments before you bring yourself back to reality because you are in your 30s now and it’s too late to start your life over and try something new, right?
Wrong. Your 30s are the perfect time to start over and try something new. And here’s why:
Life Experience
Our 30s are the best time to re-evaluate our lives and to start over or try something new because we finally have some life experience. Everyone expects us to choose how we want to live our lives at 18-20 years old when we have very little life experience. Because of this, SO many of us, find ourselves lost (check out 8 Ways To Help Yourself When You Are Feeling Lost) and searching for something new in our 30s. It makes perfect sense and it is not necessarily a bad thing.
Rather than look at it as ‘starting over’, look at it as pivoting and building on whatever you’ve done before. If a career change is on the cards, maybe you need to become a trainee again and start at the bottom. But that doesn’t mean your experience working with people and delivering value is meaningless. You have valuable life experience which will allow you to become successful in your new adventure. Remember to leverage the experience you have and pivot accordingly.
You Have Time
You are younger than you think, you have time. Society is doing a great job at making 30 something year olds think they are old. You are not old. The average life expectancy is 75years old (Check out your life expectancy here) and continues to increase. That means on average you have 45 years to live. ‘Starting over’ at anything takes 1-3 years realistically. Doesn’t it make sense to start over now and make the most of those years you have left?
Money Isn't Everything
I know that you are proabably thinking about the financial aspect of starting over. It depends on what change you want to make but in most cases, starting over means a life overhaul. That could include starting a new career, moving to a new country, ending a relationship or even a marriage. And all of those things come with a big financial impact therefore it is definitely important to consider and to plan appropriately.
However, money isn’t everything. You are thinking about starting over or trying something new and that means you are searching for something in your life. You are not content and fulfilled with your current situation. And that is okay. But accepting that there is a price to pay for change may be the best money you have ever (spent) sacrificed.
You got to this point with something you don’t enjoy, so what makes you think you won’t get back to this financially healthy spot 3-5 years after you start over? Plan, prepare and then execute. You’ll be glad you did.
Worst Case Scenario
When making big decisions in life, I always think it is helpful to play a little game of ‘worst case scenario’. It is a very simple game where we consider the absolute worst case scenario that could (but probably never will) happen as a result of starting over. Then decide whether or not we could survive that situation. The answer is almost always yes, we will survive.
And the best part is, even if things don’t work out quite as we planned, most likely we will still be glad that we took that chance to start over. People typically regret the things that they did not do, more than the things that they do. And since you are already thinking about starting over, chances are, you are more likely to regret NOT doing it.
Feel the Fear And Do It Anyway
The real reason you are reading this article is because you feel the urge to start over and try something new but fear is holding you back. If you need a sign to feel the fear and do it anyway, this is it. I know that is easy for me to say. I get it, fear is real. However there are steps you can take to manage your fear and still follow your heart.
Is there a way that you can reduce the risk at little bit? For example, if you want a career change, can you volunteer, do a course or work at the new career part time to see if you like it? If you plan to move abroad is there an opportunity for you to do it with your current company? Perhaps you can take a sabbatical and live there on a trial basis for 3 months to test it out? Seek out others who have already done what you want to do and learn from them.
There are always ways to test the waters before plunging in head first. I prefer the direct approach to dive right in but find something that feels comfortable to you and forge forward, fear and all.
You Only Get One Life
At the end of the day, we only get one life. It is our responsibility to live ours the way we want to. There is some reason why you are thinking about starting over. That alone is worth investigating. Maybe it will work out for you, maybe it won’t but I am confident that you will not regret giving it a go.
If you are worried that you might look silly or people will judge you just remember ‘No one who is doing more than you will criticise you’. There are more pro’s than cons to starting over, if you feel it is right for you. And if you do it, even failure is more of a success than never taking that chance and always wondering.
“Is 31 too old to start over and try something new? ” asked my friend.
That was 3 years ago. Since then she has quit her corporate bank job and traded in her 6 figure salary to work full time at an animal shelter where her favourite work colleagues are the rescue cats and dogs she cares for each day.
She has never been happier. If you’ve already made the leap to start over, share your story to inspire our community.
Sign up for our newsletter to become a part of the Suddenly Thirty community - stay up to date on new posts and community events!