Starting Something New at 50: The Courage to Begin Again

Starting something new is never easy. And when you’ve spent your life building a career in a structured environment like government work, where the rules are written, the path is clear, and the steps are largely laid out, leaping into entrepreneurship can feel like walking into the wilderness with no map. That’s exactly where I find myself at the age of 50: navigating the unfamiliar, sometimes intimidating terrain of building a life coaching business from the ground up.

I knew it would be hard. I just didn’t realize how hard.

It’s not the long hours that surprise me, I’ve always been a hard worker. It’s not even the challenges themselves. I’ve faced many. What’s surprising is how much of myself I’ve had to confront in the process. The vulnerability. The self-doubt. The fear of putting myself out there. Marketing, promoting, and selling my services do not come naturally to me. This isn’t just new, it’s foreign.

The online world doesn't make it any easier. Scroll through your feed and you’ll see endless posts promising quick success:

“Get 5,000 clients in one week!”

“Make $30K in your first month!”

And while some of these stories may be true, they can make the rest of us feel like we’re failing when we’re simply taking a more realistic, and more meaningful, path.

Because here’s the truth: the ups and downs are not signs that you’re doing it wrong. They’re part of the journey.

There are days when I feel full of purpose and excitement, confident in why I started this business, to help others grow into their best selves. And then there are days when I question everything. Days when the results don’t match the effort. When the doubt creeps in. But each time I recommit to my why, I keep going.

And something beautiful is happening.

What began as a mission to help others has unexpectedly become a path of growth for me, too. I’m not just building a business. I’m becoming a better version of myself. I’m learning how to show up, fully and authentically, not just as a coach, but as a mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend. And most importantly, I’m learning how to show up for myself.

There’s no shortcut to that kind of transformation.

If you’re on your own journey of starting something new, whether it’s a business, a relationship, a dream you’ve put off for years, please know this: the messy middle is where the magic happens. Not in the quick wins or flashy numbers. But in the resilience you build when you fall and choose to rise again. In the lessons you learn when things don’t go as planned. In the quiet moments when you remember why you started and take the next small step forward anyway.

So, if you’re feeling behind, uncertain, or overwhelmed, you’re not alone. And you’re not off track. You’re right where you’re supposed to be, growing.

Keep going. You're becoming.