There are so many myths around midlife – and midlife career change – that it’s hard to decide where to start.
So here are a (first) few of my favorites and why they are B.S. …
1. You’re too old to change.
This myth is perpetuated by those who fear change. Many highly successful people changed careers after 30, 40, or 50. One example is Ray Kroc who didn’t meet Mac McDonald until he was 50. Your years of experience and wisdom can open doors to more opportunities than you can imagine.
2. You invested all of this money and time in your current career – don’t throw it away.
Your success in one field doesn’t somehow preclude you from making a change. And making a change isn’t “throwing away” what you’ve built, and it certainly isn’t some sort of admission that it was a mistake. The truth is that all that you’ve become can be the springboard to something new.
3. You’re being selfish – you should be grateful for what you have.
You deserve to do work that is challenging and fulfilling. Being grateful for what you have doesn’t mean that you should ignore things that aren’t working. You spend more than a third of your life at your job. It isn’t greedy to want to dedicate that time to something enjoyable where you are doing your best work.
4. There’s just too much risk.
There is no risk, zero, to investigating what changes to your company or your career might increase your satisfaction. The real risk is not conducting the investigation. Now, you’ll want a framework so that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel – and a guide for the journey so you don’t fall victim to SOS (Shiny Object Syndrome). And when you have those things and do the work, you’ll be in a position to make an intelligent risk/reward decision.
Myth Busting …
What myths would you like busted about midlife shifts in your company or career?
Just direct message me and share it with me. And I’ll bust it in a future message.
Onward!
-Doug