IT’S NOW VERY far from perfect, but you’ve invested 30 plus years in it, getting things just right so they sort of work most of the time. It would be so much work and stress getting rid of it. Launching into the unknown and starting again is so daunting, mostly when you’ve left it so late you may not even have that long to enjoy it.
It would cost so much, you may as well keep it and maintain the same standard of living, and your life could go on as before, with no changes, no potential of alternate happiness.
You still love it but equally, you love your time away from more and more new adventures and proof that you’re not dead yet.
Physically it doesn’t need much maintenance, if at all. A brief check-up once a month is more than enough, and even that may be more than necessary. But something new could be fantastic, a new stimulating challenge.
You worry whether something new would work as well, would provide long term pleasure, suit your exact needs as you grow older and more set in your ways.
Your kids are so happy with it; moving would cause them so much distress and inconvenience. Should their feelings be utmost in your mind, or should you finally be able to do whatever you want?
Your social circle has become thoroughly intertwined with it. Will you keep your existing friends, or will you be forced to give them up and start again? Will they forgive you for moving on?
Are we talking about buying a new house or ending a long-term relationship and starting a new one? Most of the above comments could easily account for both.
Like your old family home, we stay with our long-term partner for many reasons: love, habit, fear of change, terror about the financial consequences, loss of stability, and the inevitable earthquakes within the family. The thought of downsizing or dumping your partner, leaving established friends and routines, and starting afresh is incredibly daunting.
Launching into the unknown, especially late in life, is impossible for many, leaving many people profoundly unhappy and unfulfilled. The courage to move on is immense and, for many, one of the best decisions they have ever made.
