Freelance and Solo Business: What to Think About When Things Don't Go as Planned After 50

I am Akihiro Saito, and I support building business systems using video and increasing sales. On note, I deliver content on solo business, philosophy, psychology, and more.

When you continue working as a freelancer or in a solo business, there are inevitably times when things do not go as planned.

You set up a new project, but there is no response.

Customer acquisition is not growing as expected.

You get sick and work comes to a halt.

You are forced to change your schedule due to family circumstances.

Or, even if you made a plan with full motivation, for some reason, you might lose the drive to continue halfway through.

Especially when you reach your 50s, the approach of "pushing through with sheer willpower" like you did when you were younger no longer works.

That is precisely why your mindset when things do not go as planned becomes very important.

Not going as planned is not a failure

Many people get anxious when things do not go according to plan.

And,

"I am not putting in enough effort"

"I have to work harder"

"I failed again"

they start thinking.

However, in reality, things not going as planned is not a failure in itself.

In fact, in the business world, it is more normal for things not to go as planned.

A new product does not sell as well as expected.

Your social media posts aren't getting traction.

No referrals are coming in.

This happens to everyone.

The problem isn't that things didn't go as planned.

It's about how you think and how you adjust when that happens.

Airplanes also make constant course corrections on their way to their destination.

Business is the same.

What matters is not the initial plan, but the ability to keep adjusting.

Instead of 'Why didn't it work?', ask 'What did I learn?'

When things don't go as planned, many people start looking for the cause.

Of course, analysis is important.

However, excessive self-reflection drains your ability to take action.

Especially after 50,

the perspective of

'What did I learn this time?'

is more important than

'Why did I fail?'

For example,

you write a blog post and get no response.

This is not a failure.

You have obtained data showing that "there is little need for this theme."

No one signed up for the seminar.

That, too,

means you have obtained information that

"you need to change how you communicate it."

Business is a series of experiments.

Even results that didn't go as planned become material for your next improvement.

Just thinking that way makes you feel much more at ease.

Prioritizing direction over schedule

When you are young, speed is your weapon.

However, after 50, you need to change your way of thinking a little.

That is,

to place more importance on

"moving in the right direction"

than on

"proceeding exactly as planned."

For example,

doubling your sales within this year,

or updating your social media every day.

These are just examples.

Hold a seminar every month.

Such goals are wonderful.

However, becoming too bound by them can be painful.

On the other hand,

What is the value you truly want to deliver?

What kind of clients do you want to work with?

What kind of work style do you want to achieve?

If this direction is set, it doesn't matter if you are a little late.

Life is not a sprint, but a marathon.

Especially for business after 50, sustainability is more important than anything else.

There is meaning in what is happening now

Looking back, many people have had this experience.

What I thought was a failure at the time became a great asset later on.

Because I struggled to attract customers, I started learning marketing.

Because I had the experience of not selling, I was able to understand the customer's perspective.

Because I worried about human relationships, I understood who was truly important.

Life is mysterious, and events whose meaning you don't understand at the time can connect later on.

That is why, especially when things don't go as planned,

try thinking,

"Perhaps this is the time to learn something."

There is no need to force yourself to be positive.

Just try not to view your current situation as an enemy.

Look at your feet when you feel impatient

When plans go awry, people worry about the future.

Will my sales be okay?

Can I keep doing this?

Will I have enough money for retirement?

However, if you only look at the future, your anxiety will continue to grow.

At such times, bring your focus back to what you can do today.

Write one article.

Contact one person.

Think of one project idea.

Go for a walk.

Get a good night's sleep.

These small actions will eventually change your future.

Even big problems can only be solved by the accumulation of steps taken today.

Trust the 'flow' after 50

When I was young, I tried to control everything myself.

But after passing 50, you start to understand.

In life, there are things you can change and things you cannot.

And that the more you resist what cannot be changed, the more painful it becomes.

Of course, effort is necessary.

Action is also necessary.

However, you do not need to try to make everything go exactly as you wish.

Make a plan.

Do what you can.

Then, move forward while accepting what happens.

Such flexibility becomes a great strength for a solo business after 50.

Summary

When things don't go as planned, many people blame themselves.

But what is truly important is not going exactly according to plan.

It is about what you learn from the situation and how you adjust your course.

Freelance and solo business after 50 is no longer a battle of sheer willpower like it was when you were young.

Sometimes plans go awry.

Sometimes you have to take a detour.

Sometimes you have to stop.

Even so, you just need to keep moving forward step by step in the direction you value.

When you look back, it is often not the smooth times that changed your life, but what you thought about when things didn't go as planned.

That is surprisingly common.

Therefore, why not try accepting even the days that don't go as planned as a necessary part of your life?