Many people feel stuck in a job they dislike, and midlife is a common time to reassess their future. Late bloomers who have successfully launched second careers share their secrets to making a change and following their dreams, proving it is never too late.
Fiona Leitch, 56, from Great Yarmouth, dreamed of becoming a novelist but grew up in an area where that seemed unlikely. She reworked a script into her first novel, Dead in Venice, at 48, and has since published 10 novels with HarperCollins. She advises admitting to yourself what you truly want to do.
Nola Bliss, 77, from Western Australia, found success as a standup comedian in her 70s, performing to crowds of 500. She stresses the importance of keeping your plan to yourself: “Don’t tell anybody what you’re going to do, because they’ll try and tell you that you can’t.” She also advocates feeling the fear and doing it anyway.
Shashi Aggarwal, from Walsall, established the successful Spice Kitchen business in her 70s, selling her own blends after years of selling other people’s products. She says she enjoys every bit of her work and has no regrets. “I don’t think if I had started earlier I would have achieved any more,” she adds.
Other late bloomers include Lisbeth Dreyer, who became a flower farmer in her 60s in Norway, and Steven Taylor, 73, who completed a PhD later in life, believing in neuroplasticity. The article concludes that more experience can be an advantage, especially for writers, as it provides a deeper understanding of the world.
