The Real Secret? Showing Up Long After the Hype Dies Down.

Momentum builds in the silence, not the spotlight.

At 70, I started a new business.

I thought it would feel like a grand finale.

Purpose. Fulfillment. Pride.

That’s what I expected.

What I didn’t expect?

How much it would feel like failure in slow motion.

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Trying to accomplish something meaningful doesn’t always feel inspiring.

Some days, it feels pointless.
Other days, like walking in a forest with a blindfold on.

And most days?
It feels like you’re you’re trying to run with your ankles tied together.

You start with motivation.
Then it fades.

You set deadlines.
Then real life interrupts.

You make progress.
Then doubt sneaks in, whispering, “This isn’t enough.”

But you keep going.

That’s the part no one talks about.

The long, quiet middle.

The part where some days:

• You rewrite 5 versions of your post

• You stare at the screen and forget what you wanted to write

• You go into Google Docs to find your notes, trying to remember why you started

• You wonder if that dinner you just ate had enough protein, because your brain is fried and you can’t focus

No one claps for this part.
No one sees it.

But this is where the real work happens.

The truth is, most goals don’t die from failure.
They die from fatigue.
From comparison.

From the lie that says,
“If it’s not happening fast, it’s not happening at all.”

But it is happening.
Every time you come back to it.
Every time you chip away.
Every time you choose persistence over perfection.

Even when it feels too late.
Even when you feel too old.
Even when you move slower than you’d like.

Because what you’re building isn’t just a business.

You’re building a version of yourself who gets to say:

“I didn’t quit.”

Even when no one was watching.
Even when it wasn’t easy.
Even when you’re not sure it will work.

That version of you?

She’s arriving quietly.

And she’ll be damn proud you didn’t walk away.