Posted on 31st January 2025| By Steve Richards

Ever wondered if you're too old to completely reinvent your life?

After decades in the same career, I know I did. 

Wearing the same work boots and following the same routines day in and day out, it's easy to get trapped in the same old routine. 

The thought of throwing away decades of expertise to start fresh is terrifying, especially when you're closer to retirement than college. 

Maybe you've caught yourself thinking, "I wish I'd done that years ago," or "That's not for people like me."

Well, what if that nagging voice in your head is wrong?

What if everything up to now was preparing you for a second act you never thought possible?"

What If?

Your body is telling you it’s time.

Sometimes life doesn't ask permission to change your plans. 

After forty years crawling around as a floor layer, my body started sending signals I couldn't ignore.

Joints that once breezed through a day's work now screamed in protest, making it glaringly obvious I needed to change course before I broke down completely.

While my hands were creating beautiful spaces for others, my mind increasingly wandered off to far-flung places—the kind of places I discovered during a cricket tour in Sri Lanka.

That 2012 trip to watch England play was more than just a sporting adventure. It became the first crack in the wall between my established life and the possibilities beyond. 

The vibrancy of Sri Lanka, so different from anything I'd known, planted a seed that would slowly grow into something much bigger.

Apart from my aching bones sending signals, life also found a cruel way of stopping me in my tracks. Unexpectedly losing loved ones far too early brought sharp clarity to how precious our time truly is. 

These losses stripped away the luxury of waiting for the "right moment" to make a change. That growing sense of restlessness, coupled with life's unavoidable messages, made one thing clear: it was time for a change.

Trading Knee Pads for iPads

The transition from physical work to digital work felt like learning to walk again. 

After decades of measuring success in square feet and perfectly sealed joints, I suddenly found myself grappling with metrics like click-through rates and conversion funnels. Studying subject lines and sales letters. 

All the while knowing that trading my knee pads for a laptop could not only mean a change of tools—it could also mean a change of scenery.

When I first visited Thailand back in 2015, I had no idea of what lay ahead. What started as a two-week trip with a friend rapidly evolved into a love affair with a country that would repeatedly keep calling me back. 

Eventually reinforcing what I already knew—that there was more to life than the familiar routines of home.

Impostor Syndrome Hits Hard

Let's be honest: this journey was never destined to be an Instagram reel of victories. Starting from scratch at fifty-plus comes with a bucketload of doubts and setbacks. 

There are weeks when the income is non-existent. Days when the learning curve feels like a vertical climb and countless hours when imposter syndrome becomes your constant companion. 

I spent countless hours staring at a blank screen, wondering if I would ever make things work. I felt more out of place than I ever had in 40 years of laying floors. 

But unlike my previous work, which anchored me to one location, this new path has led me to where I am now—writing these words from my balcony in Thailand, surrounded by the energy and possibilities of Southeast Asia.

New Workspaces-Different Cultures

That first step beyond Europe to Sri Lanka showed me what was possible. 

Thailand opened its arms and showed me where I felt comfortable. 

Now, each corner of Asia beckons with promises of their own. 

The streets of Hanoi, the temples of Cambodia, the islands of Indonesia—they're no longer just pictures in travel blogs such as nomadicmatt.com; they’re my potential future workspaces. 

My laptop and skills will open up opportunities to experience new places, not just as a tourist but as someone who can truly immerse themselves in different cultures.

“Travel far enough, you will meet yourself.” David Mitchell 

The Gateway to a Life Lived Anywhere

The vision of working from anywhere isn't just a dream anymore—it's my current reality, albeit still in development. 

While some wait for retirement to begin their travels, this digital transition will eventually allow me to spend the majority of my time on the road. 

Although Thailand now feels like my second home, each new client has the potential to fund another adventure, each project completed from a different corner of Southeast Asia and beyond.

Missing family while travelling is only natural, and they have watched this transformation with a mix of encouragement and concern—the same way I'd watch them if they were attempting such a dramatic shift. 

Thankfully, technology means I can enjoy my travels while staying connected to those I love, sharing my adventures, and bringing them with me wherever I go.

Building The Next Chapter

The toolbox looks different now. Instead of levels and trowels, it's filled with digital skills and marketing knowledge. Each course, each certification, each new understanding is another tool for building this next chapter. 

The tradesman's mindset transferred surprisingly well; attention to detail matters just as much in email copy as it did in laying floors. I can now carry these tools with me, from quiet beaches to busy coffee shops.

This journey isn't just about changing careers; it's about embracing a world that first called to me from the cricket grounds of Sri Lanka and has led me to the welcoming shores of Thailand. 

Every new skill learned isn't just a step toward location independence. 

It's a giant leap toward discovering more of the world, a world that for a long time seemed out of reach.

The weight of years can feel like chains holding you back. I had those same feelings.

But what if your age isn't your limitation but your superpower? 

What I've learned is experience isn't baggage; it's fuel.

Every problem you've solved, every challenge you've faced, every skill you've mastered—they've all been preparing you for this moment. 

Your decades of work haven't just taught you a trade; they've taught you how to adapt, persevere, and excel.

When was the last time you asked yourself what you really want from life? Not what's practical. Not what's expected.

What gets your blood pumping with possibility?

The wider world isn't just for the younger generation. 

It's for anyone brave enough to step over the threshold. 

Whether it's writing copy from a beach bar or teaching online from your kitchen table, your future is limited only by your courage to imagine it differently.

What's scarier—taking a chance on change or reaching the end of your journey wondering what might have been? 

What stories do you want to tell when you look back on your life?

Promise yourself: “I won’t look back in ten years and wonder what if; I will look back proclaiming, "I'm glad I was brave enough to have a go."

Hunter S. Thompson reminds us that we have the power to choose our path.

“It is not necessary to accept the choices handed down to you by life as you know it. There is more to it than that—no one HAS to do something they don’t want to do for the rest of their life. But then again, if that’s what you wind up doing, by all means convince yourself that you HAD to do it. You’ll have lots of company.”

Source: Letter to Hume Logan (April 22, 1958) as featured in Letters of Note.

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