Article image

‘Never Too Late’: 14 Quotes About Late-in-Life Success

Although society often places a disproportionate emphasis on attaining certain milestones at a young age, success is possible at any stage of life. Age brings with it unique insights associated with our lived experiences, which can lead to innovative ideas and solutions.

But it’s not just a matter of having more experience — as we age, we may also become more resilient and more committed to our goals. Having overcome challenges and setbacks earlier in our lives, we’re often better equipped to successfully navigate the obstacles that come later.

We all continue to learn, grow, and evolve throughout our lives, and we may find our priorities and aspirations shifting as we grow older. The new skills and interests we develop can help us succeed in our pursuit of long-held ambitions or newfound passion projects. Research shows that success has nothing to do with age; it’s a combination of personality, persistence, intelligence, and luck.

So while achieving success is a personal journey with no one-size-fits-all definition, we hope these quotes act as a reminder that it’s never too late to pursue your dreams.

People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.
Paulo Coelho

Share Quote

Age is no barrier. It’s a limitation you put on your mind.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Share Quote

No star is ever lost we once have seen, / We always may be what we might have been.
Adelaide Anne Procter

Share Quote

Seldom does an individual enter upon highly creative effort in any field of endeavor before the age of forty.
Napoleon Hill

Share Quote

If success comes early, it can mess with you. As rough as my early days were, I wouldn’t change five seconds.
Edie Falco

Share Quote

The time for action is now. It’s never too late to do something.
Carl Sandburg

Share Quote

I’m very grateful at my stage of the game to have all this happen. It makes me laugh and laugh; it’s ridiculous, because underneath I’m the same person I’ve always been.
Iris Apfel

Share Quote

There is a fountain of youth: It is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.
Sophia Loren

Share Quote

It is never too late or too soon. It is when it is supposed to be.
Mitch Albom

Share Quote

There is nothing better in life than being a late bloomer. I believe that success can happen at any time and at any age.
Salma Hayek

Share Quote

All I have done before the age of 70 is not worth bothering with. At 75, I’ll have learned something of the pattern of nature, of animals, of plants, of trees, birds, fish, and insects. When I am 80, you will see real progress.
Hokusai

Share Quote

By being authentically who you are, you might be a little slower in becoming successful, but you’re going to be slowly gathering people who are your tribe, your kinda folks.
Chloé Zhao

Share Quote

Luckily for me — and anyone who’d have to tolerate my antsy early retirement — our research reveals a deeper paradox that offers true hope: We older folks don’t have to assume we’re has-beens. That’s because creativity itself has no age.
Albert-László Barabási

Share Quote

Perhaps I would have preferred to start off at 20 or 30, but I don’t think I would have been anywhere near equipped to know what it takes to be in business.
Vera Wang

Share Quote

Featured image credit: Roy Rochlin/ Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Author image
About the Author
Kristina Wright
Kristina is a coffee-fueled writer living happily ever after with her family in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia.
Play more header background
Play more icon
Daily Question
Fill in the blank: "___ is a very powerful thing, more powerful than intellect." - Steve Jobs

More Inspiration

happiness theme icon

Art is a language which anneals individuals to each other through experiences that are uniquely human.

separator icon
Ann Lauterbach
motivation theme icon

The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have.

separator icon
Sheryl Sandberg
hope theme icon

The only tired I was, was tired of giving in.

separator icon
Rosa Parks
love theme icon

I do not think it worth while to wait for enjoyment until there is some real opportunity for it.

separator icon
Jane Austen
wisdom theme icon

Run to the rescue with love and peace will follow.

separator icon
River Phoenix
happiness theme icon

Admire as much as you can, most people don't admire enough.

separator icon
Vincent van Gogh
motivation theme icon

Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.

separator icon
Bertrand Russell
hope theme icon

My dark days made me strong. Or maybe I already was strong, and they made me prove it.

separator icon
Emery Lord
love theme icon

Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.

separator icon
Mary Shelley
wisdom theme icon

Human beings must always be on the watch for the coming of wonders.

separator icon
E.B. White
happiness theme icon

It’s the artists who do the dreaming for society.

separator icon
Méret Oppenheim