3 Reasons Why Midlife is the Perfect Time for a Career Change (and Exercises to Help You Make Your Next Move!)
Okay, ladies… As usual, we don’t give ourselves enough credit. Am I right? I feel like this is an epidemic for so many mid-life women. I’m curious if you have had any of these thoughts…
Are you looking around at younger women in your workplace thinking that you can’t keep up with their new “hot off the press” ideas or “fresh” experience. Maybe you don’t think your more “experienced experience” is valued anymore?
Are you looking at middle-aged men and seeing (by all appearances) that they have progressed further in their careers or have gained more respect in their roles? Maybe you don’t think your female perspective is getting the recognition it deserves?
Are you thinking… Who am I but what I’ve always been in my career? Nothing more or nothing less – this is just me, in the here and now and what will be to come.
And this is what we need to change in our thinking, ladies! We are who we create ourselves to be and have the power within to change at whatever point we choose.
I have a quote shared by a wise friend of mine which captures a sentiment that can sometimes be difficult to fully accept. Myself included!
“People either have the life they want or the list of reasons why not.”
Ouch…
I know I have spent many, many parts of my life Listing the reasons Why Not. Why I stayed in a job that aligned with my degree but not ME. Why I stayed in friendships that were not supportive. Why I stayed in an unhealthy marriage. How about you? Do you have a list of WHY NOTs? I’m guessing we all do as this just feels like part of the human condition. Yet, this list may be exactly what is holding us back from possibilities in our life.
And, this is why it is so critical to break the unhealthy cycles we have created over our lifetimes so that we can create the life we truly want.
So now, I want to get into the Top Reasons why Mid-Life is the PERFECT time to shift into your next and BEST career chapter!
1. Your kids are grown and more independent, so you have more time and space for your own dreams.
If you have children, very likely they are more independent and may have even launched! You may be an empty nester. With this you may have more time and space for your thoughts, ideas, and dreams. It is possible that you feel a sense of freedom that you have not experienced since your own young adult life.
This may even be WHY you are feeling this pull towards something new in your career… you have the time and space to think about YOU. What a concept, ladies! And might I add, it’s about damn time!
I’m going to guess that for some of us, a tinge of guilt may even rise up a bit here. You might be thinking… Buck up, buttercup! You can just “make” yourself feel satisfied where you are… to just get by until retirement… You have always been the responsible one, putting others first… Why would you change this now?
I’m just going to STOP you right there and remind you that you DO DESERVE to prioritize yourself. If not now, then when? This IS exactly the RIGHT time to prioritize your career dreams, ladies! I believe this so deeply and I want you to as well.
Now, I want you to grab some paper and a pen.
Exercise: Exploring (and Overcoming) the Why NOTs
Please draw a line down the middle of your paper. On the left side, please write down all the reasons Why you should NOT give yourself permission to pursue a new career chapter.
Yep – let’s get all of them out of our systems. Let’s try to write out at least 3-5 reasons WHY NOT.
After you do this, to the right of each of these, I want you to write how you can OVERCOME or Dismantle this WHY NOT. You may need to get creative here and really open up your Possibility Thinking.
Tip: If your best friend or one of your adult children came to you listing off all of the reasons they should take an AMAZING opportunity, or live life the way they’ve been dreaming about, what would you say to them? Think about it, and tell yourself the same things!
2. You have Life Experience – breadth and depth – which brings wisdom.
Let’s let this sink in ladies! Whether you are in your 40’s, 50’s or 60’s… you have gained so much learning over the course of your lifetime. How many times have you thought - I wish I could tell my 20 or 30 something self XYZ… If only! It is through life’s trials, celebrations, anguish, joy, fear, overcomer moments that have brought us into the wisest state of our being.
Let’s go back to what I mentioned earlier - we don’t give ourselves enough credit! You have LIVED ladies. We live deeply. We go ALL IN. We are a generation that was taught this and it was expected… As young women, we pursued our careers and advancement while raising our littles and caring for our homes. WE did it all!
Remember that commercial from the 70’s or 80’s… I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan… and you likely remember the rest! Again - the expectation was for us to do it all. And what does this mean for us? Well, it means that we have LIVED ladies. And maybe, just maybe, we are also feeling exhausted from doing all the things for all the people in our lives, and it’s time to invest in ourselves now.
Exercise: Connecting With Your Wisdom
Have your pen and paper handy here. I want you to write down those moments that feel the most impactful to your life. These may be the biggest struggles, heartaches or the most triumphant moments. They may be a series of little steps towards a big moment. I just want you to dig into those life events that helped create who you are today… your values, your beliefs, your resiliency, your wisdom.
Here are some examples that may help you begin to formulate your ideas…
You worked side-by-side with a elder mentor who taught you the importance of caring for others.
You led a youth-group at church for years and had the opportunity to support them through life’s heartaches and joys.
You cared for your dying mother during her cancer treatment and learned to empathize, offer physical care, and balance your own work responsibilities.
You had a boss who degraded you in front of your whole team without understanding the full situation.
You were left out of social circles because of your strong opinions on social issues.
You lost a child to a car accident.
You were recognized as an effective and compassionate leader in your organization.
You’ve experienced a strained relationship with your siblings managing the estate of your deceased parents.
You experienced a painful divorce.
You won a debate competition in college.
You were promoted to a leadership position that you could only dream of.
You led a successful start-up business.
You volunteered on multiple mission trips that changed your perspective forever.
You adopted a child with special needs.
WHY is this important? Because moments matter. Our life experiences matter. These moments form who we are today. They grow that WISDOM within… that inner knowing that can only come from Life Experiences.
Ladies, I know your list has to be long because, well, we’ve been here for awhile! And what a beautiful thing that is. You did not have this list in your 20’s and 30’s, ladies. As you look at this list, I want you to recognize your own wisdom. Pat yourself on your back. Look in the mirror and say - “Hey You - You are so WISE and have so much to offer from your years of experience.”
3. You know yourself better than at any other point in your life.
As a woman, we have this innate ability to really think deeply, to ponder life’s happenings, to consider all the moments and what they mean. We talk with friends about ourselves, our interactions at home and work, our hopes and dreams and we talk about WHO we are… and if you are lucky, you have friends, family or a spouse that will go really deep with you.
If we just did the math and added up the years of living, it would only make sense that at this point in your life, you would know yourself better than you did when you were say 20 or 30.
So if we are honest, dang, it was hard to make a life long decision about our forever career at the age of 18, 19, 20… but many of us did anyway. Not that this was wrong, but I’d say the odds of hitting the nail on the head at that age with finding THE career that you were meant for would be low.
So I ask you then, now that you have LIVED… don’t you think that you have a better sense for WHO you really are? What are your strengths, what are your core values, what lights you up? We sure know a lot more about ourselves now than we did back then!
Exercise: Brag About Yourself!
So ladies, here is a little exercise for you where you get to BRAG on yourself. I want you to start writing out all the great things about YOU. Get out your adjectives rolodex so you can really start to write out what makes you, YOU.
Fun, intelligent, social, perceptive, creative, storyteller, public speaker, entertainer, avid reader, funny, optimistic, responsible, detail-oriented, intuitive, ideator, visionary, etc., etc.
We can sometimes discount these amazing parts of ourselves rather than shine a light on them and LEAN into them. So we are going to shine YOUR light right now - what makes you unique. I expect this to be a loooooong list ladies!
Now right before each of the words you write, write the words I AM… We are doing this for you to fully own all of who you are and what you bring into this world - at home and work.
Now a point of reflection… what would your list have looked like at the age of 20, 25, 30? Would you have had a full grasp on all that you are at that point in your life?
I’m guessing the answer is likely not because we were still in a stage of growing, experiencing new things, and creating a level of self-awareness that can only come from life experience
Ladies, our time is NOW.
Transitioning to a new career path isn't just about chasing a paycheck. It's about finding purpose and aligning your professional goals with your passions. By tapping into your unique skills and experiences, you can open doors to opportunities you never knew existed!
Whether you’re interested in the medical world, creative industries, or starting your own business, know that right NOW is the perfect moment to invest in yourself, embrace the possibilities, and take the leap towards a fulfilling career journey. You deserve to be in a career that is meant for you, even (and especially) at Mid-Life. Today, we went through the Top Reasons why Midlife is the PERFECT time to shift into your next and BEST career chapter. Remember, it’s never too late. Let’s crush Mid-Life together!
I’m Dawn LaRae, and I help unfulfilled, mid-life professional women gain clarity and confidence in their next career chapter so they can experience passion and purpose in their work.
If you’re looking for some extra support, here are three ways I can help!
We have a great community space FULL of tips, resources, and conversation for all of us mid-life ladies to support each other on our journeys together! Join the Mid-Life Career Transformation Community for Professional Women Facebook Group!
Download your FREE Guide: 4 Steps to Uncovering Your Next and Best Career Chapter.
Just want to have a conversation? Schedule a Discovery Call and let’s chat!