Early bloomers v Late bloomers; Five tips to finding your groove at any age.

Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly…

A few years ago, I stumbled on the story of an immigrant who had spent five years for a two-year program before finally proceeding to Harvard and graduating as a doctor.

He had to work two jobs to support his family, the demand and pressure of fending for himself and supporting his family, disrupted what should have been a normal academic progression.

What struck me about this story was that he was described as a late bloomer, because he began his journey to study medicine at 16 and graduated from Harvard at 32. At about the same time, basketball great, Kobe Bryant was retiring from basketball at the age of 37 after putting in 20 years of dedicated service!

One was starting at 32 while the other was retiring from a very illustrious career at 37.

I am reminded of the story of Eric Yuan the founder of Zoom, who immigrated to the United States at the age of 27 as a non-English speaking immigrant. Mark Zuckerberg was about the same age when Facebook held its Initial Public Offering, making him an instant Billionaire at that age.

Today, Zoom is one of the most profitable companies in the United States, and Yuan would go on to become a Billionaire, a status he attained at the age of 49. When compared to Zuckerberg, Yuan can be described as a late bloomer, but compared to every other person, Yuan is an exceedingly successful entrepreneur, seeing that Zoom has now become a settled part of our existence today!

In a culture obsessed with the allure of youthful success, we often judge our progress by the success of our peers, and we hastily and unfairly condemn ourselves as losers, if we fall short of the self-imposed and sometimes societal imposed standards of success.

This unhealthy degradation of our self -worth is fueled by a world that idolizes youthful success. Who cares about the 50-year-old CEO when we can fantasize about the 23-year-old Silicon Valley Billionaire!

Yet, we know that there are different kinds of people in life, we have the early bloomers, people who discover very early what they want to be in life and find the courage to pursue it vigorously, and then there are the late bloomers, people who discover what they want to do much later in life, in their thirties, forties, fifties, and even sixties and go ahead to achieve it.

The common denominator between these two people is that they “bloom”!

It is easy to give up and conclude that you are late in the game, yet history has shown us repeatedly, that age is no barrier to success if one is willing to put in the work and adopt the right attitude.

Below, I highlight five tips to help you get your groove back at any age, whether you are Thirty-Five, Forty-five, or Sixty-five!

Firstly, ditch the comparison game. There is no benefit in comparing yourself with your high school colleagues or college dorm mate. Comparison breeds depression and depression results in psychological and creative inertia. Quite simply, it puts you in a state of helplessness that paralyzes you into inaction.

One of the fastest ways of avoiding the comparison trap is by managing your social media consumption which is incredibly difficult but ultimately attainable by practicing self-discipline. A sure way of getting this done is simply by uninstalling the “offending” social media app.

Secondly, keep an open mind. One of the benefits of keeping an open mind is that you remain young at heart. You can do this by interacting with people who are completely different from you. Join a network of people in a different profession, relocate to a different city, learn a new skill, pivot to a different career.

As a late bloomer, you are probably used to certain lifestyle and activities, however being open to new possibilities would ensure that you do not remain stuck in old unproductive endeavors, it injects vibrancy and color to your life and creates exciting new prospects.

Thirdly, be unapologetic in reinventing yourself. Do it boldly and unashamedly.

When Jeff Bezos decided to leave his position as a Senior Vice President in an investment firm to start selling books from his garage, I imagine that people would have sniggered at his ideas and well-intentioned friends and colleagues would probably have attempted to dissuade him from pursuing his dream.

Think of this carefully, can you imagine a successful Investment Banker changing his career to a garage book seller? Oh well, I can’t! Bezos did, and today, he is the wealthiest man in the world.

One of the greatest challenges you will probably face as a late bloomer is convincing friends and families to accept changes in your lifestyle or career. This is extremely difficult because you have probably spent time and resources building a profile in a career you now seek to jettison. The solution to this is quite simple, DON’T! There is no point trying to convince people to accept the new you. People will begin to take you seriously when you work consistently and demonstrate real results.

The best way to face resistance and opposition when pivoting at an older age is to be unapologetic and unashamed of the new changes. Be your biggest cheerleader and your loudest fan.

Fourthly, Connect with other late bloomers. Connecting with other late bloomers making similar life changes would provide you with the necessary community and support group you require to thrive. Also, the diversity of experiences and talent available in this pool will create unique opportunities for partnerships in your new journey.

Finally, be patient!

It is tempting to desire quick success when you are a late bloomer, but the virtue of patience is relevant whether you are young or old. As you embark on a new journey, you need to remember that the journey is just as important as the destination.

Enjoy the process, be kind to yourself and never give up. Success does not regard age, it only recognizes diligence, hard work, and consistency.

It is never too late to start, and anytime, is the right time!