Rediscovering Your “Un-Potential” in Midlife

I was listening to Brooke Castillo’s Life Coach School podcast recently, and she mentioned something that caught me completely off guard: our un-potential.

Not the things we’ve already done, accomplished, or figured out.
But the parts of ourselves we haven’t yet explored.
The possibilities still buried beneath routines, responsibilities, and old beliefs.

It made me stop and reflect — especially as a midlife woman with adult kids who are just starting their grown-up lives. I see their potential so clearly. I cheer them on, knowing they’ll change, try, stumble, and grow. I expect them to evolve.

But do I give myself the same grace?
The same space to dream?
The same belief in possibility?

The Dangerous Myth of “Too Late”

At some point in adulthood, especially in midlife, we start believing the lie that our best years are behind us.

That if we haven’t written the book, started the business, changed careers, taken the trip, learned the language, gone back to school — by now — then it’s probably never going to happen.

We mistake unused potential for failure.
We confuse productivity with worthiness.
We forget that possibility doesn’t expire.

But here’s the truth: you’re not too late.
You’re just on time for the next chapter.

A Conversation That Hit Home

I was having a conversation with my son the other day about his future. He kept referencing the past: the jobs he’s had, the skills he’s learned, things he’s good at and should just stick to.

He was measuring his future by his former self, as if the best parts of him had already been used up.

But that’s not how it works.
Your experience is not the end of your growth.
It’s the foundation for what comes next.

Your un-potential isn’t what you missed.
It’s what’s still waiting for you — if you’re brave enough to look.

A Journaling Prompt to Explore What’s Still Inside You

If you’ve been feeling stuck, bored, or disconnected from your sense of purpose, try this:

Prompt:
What have I not allowed myself to want or even try because I thought it was too late?

Let yourself write freely — no edits, no judgment. You don’t even need to use full sentences.
You might be surprised what comes up.

→ A dream you put on hold.
→ A skill you never explored.
→ A version of yourself you’re still becoming.

That’s your un-potential talking.
And she’s not done with you yet.

One Simple Shift That Changed Everything

Here’s what I’ve learned recently:
You don’t have to overhaul your life to reconnect with possibility.

You just have to start asking a better question.

Instead of “What now?” or “Is this all there is?” try asking:

“What haven’t I met in myself… yet?”

This mindset shift opens doors.
It reorients you toward growth, not decline.
It reminds you that you’re not meant to just maintain.
You’re meant to evolve.

Midlife doesn’t mark the end of your potential — it might be your first real chance to own it.

So go meet your un-potential.

What’s something you still want to explore, try, or become in this chapter of life?

You’re not done yet.
Not even close. 💛