Limiting Belief #2: I’m Too Old To Start Something

Written by chellie

June 24, 2025

If you’ve been following along, in last week’s blog you learned how to be more productive. In this on, you can carry your new techniques with you as you see how age doesn’t limit you either.

With this limiting belief, you believe that in order to be successful, you need to start young. That the only way to truly achieve great things is to get started at a young age and work and work until you finally achieve greatness at an older age. That you’re too old to start new things, reset your career, start a new hobby, or strive after new goals.

Your limiting belief is that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

You feel like if you tried to start something new at this point in your life, you would fail. Maybe you want to write a book. Maybe you want to take up skiing. Maybe you want to completely change your career. Maybe you want to run a marathon.

But as you consider these things, you think to yourself, “Only young people do these things. I’m simply too old to get started on something this big.”

But this limiting belief simply isn’t true. It needs to be rewritten. Grab your worksheet and let’s dive in.

Lesson 2 Worksheet

Rewriting The Limiting Belief

Now let’s rewrite this limiting belief into an empowering belief.

Limiting Belief:

  • “I’m too old to accomplish anything new.”

Empowering Beliefs:

  • “My age gives me wisdom.”
  • “I have more experience than those who are younger.”
  • “I can avoid mistakes that younger people make.”
  • “My experience will allow me to get going faster.”
  • “I’m never too old to start something new.”

There are thousands of people who have achieved huge amounts of success later in life.

Vera Wang didn’t start designing clothing until she was 40. Harland Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, was broke until he finally found success at age 65. Charles Darwin published his most famous book, The Origin of Species, at age 50.

Want an example closer to home? My first book wasn’t published until I was 46. I didn’t start building my business around it until I was 48. But every step I had made before then set me up to be able to do these things.  In fact I talk about how our beliefs impact what we achieve in that first book – When In Doubt, Delete It! 

If they can do it (and I can do it), surely you can too. In order to rewrite your limiting belief, you need to realize that being older gives you more wisdom. You have more to offer, a broader skill set, and more experience. This actually gives you a distinct advantage over those who are younger.

Younger people are prone to make more mistakes because they don’t have the experience that you have. This keeps them from achieving success as quickly as they might. Because you have so much experience and wisdom, you are able to achieve success more quickly because you can avoid mistakes.

Your new belief is: “I can start something new at any age. I have the experience and wisdom to achieve anything I want, regardless of my age.”

Action Steps

  • Write down all the things you want to achieve.
  • Write down the distinct advantages you have because you’re older. Include your experiences and the lessons you’ve learned through those experiences.
  • Think back on all the things you’ve already achieved in your life and let these encourage you as you attempt new things.
  • Affirm each day that you are enough and that you can achieve whatever you set your mind to.
  • Read inspirational stories of others who have achieved great things at an older age.

Affirmation

I can start something new at any age. In fact, my age gives me a distinct advantage over those who are younger. I relish the experience and wisdom that age has provided me.

I am confident that I can achieve whatever I put my mind to. I refuse to believe the lie that my age limits me.

As I look back on my life, I see all the things I’ve already achieved, and this gives me great confidence that I can achieve new things as well.

Looking Forward

Now that you see how to keep time and age from stopping you, you’ll be excited to discover in the next lesson how failures actually bring you closer to your goals!

If you want more secrets to a thriving workplace, you can:

See why The Hollywood Magazine says Culture Secrets is on it’s must read list for 2025.

Listen to the Culture Secrets Podcast on your favorite platform.

Grab your copy of the book Culture Secrets.

Booking now for speaking and training events.

Check out my audio books: Get Noticed, Get Hired or When In Doubt, Delete It!

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Limiting Belief #4: My Past Will Always Negatively Influence My Future

Limiting Belief #4: My Past Will Always Negatively Influence My Future

Do you feel your past is keeping you from creating a bright future? Failure in the past doesn’t automatically mean failure in the future. In fact, your past is one of your greatest assets. As you learn lessons from the past, it makes you that much wiser. Let’s blast through that limiting belief.