I recently wrote about what mid-career drama feels like and the mindset you need to resolve it. I also introduced the three key mid-career challenges I’ve observed.
In this post, I tackle what you could try if you are feeling lost mid-career.
Is this you?
You’ve achieved relative success in your career and you’re generally good at what you do. But now, a couple of decades in, you’re no longer sure it’s the career for you. Or you feel that your general excitement about work has faded.
Work is a significant part of your identity so this is really getting to you. It also pays the bills and is something you’ve invested 20 years of your life in, so it’s not something you can just abandon.
But what else could you do? And even if you figured out the next steps, would you have the courage to take them? Could you be good at something completely new at this stage of your life?
And what would people think? You have an established reputation to consider and you’re experienced enough to understand the value of your networks and your personal brand.
I’ve been there…but everyone’s journey is different.
I’ve felt a bit lost several times over the past few years and changed multiple industries to find something that I could see myself doing until retirement. (Although, let’s face it, I will never fully retire.)
But I am generally a person of action and learn by trying and experiencing new things. For people that are more risk averse and need a lot of thinking time before taking action, overcoming their lack of direction and purpose may be more difficult.
So, instead of suggesting that you simply jump into the deep end, here are a few smaller steps you could take to figure things out.
1. Don’t start with the details.
If you feel the need to change the status quo but are struggling to figure out what to do next, maybe your approach is off.
Instead of figuring out the details first, start at a much higher level. Think about what you currently value.
So, instead of wondering if you want to go into a specific industry, type of business or profession, think about what you value at work.
Do you favour meaningful work that helps others over monetary reward? Do you prefer work that allows you to be creative and have a flexible schedule? Do you prefer to work on your own or in larger teams?
Once you’ve figured this out, you can use it as an important reference for further decision-making and working out further details.
2. Take some low-key, exploratory actions.
Read books and consume online content about subject matters that interest you and about people who have made careers in these fields. If possible, talk to people from related professions and industries to see what entry steps are required and what their typical week is like.
Consider taking related online courses or other short courses to see if the subject matter holds your interest enough to complete the course, as well as to see if you have a knack for it.
3. Try changing your scenery or your routines.
Shake things up a bit without making any drastic moves.
Get involved in working groups or cross-functional projects at work to explore your interests and talents.
Consider a short-term lateral move within your organisation, such as a secondment in a different business division, to see what else is out there and how you fit into other environments.
Explore pro bono assistance you could offer to contacts outside of your current industry, to see if it’s something you could devote your talents to full-time.
This will all help you figure out how drastic your next step should be and identify whether you are disenchanted with your team, organisation, profession or industry.
4. Take a break.
Consider taking some time off to figure things out, even if it’s just to have a few days to yourself to do some thinking. It might be easier to clarify things for yourself away from the office and when you step out of your regular routines.
Don’t underestimate the value of self-care at this time. After some rest and recovery, you may realise that you are just burned out, which is causing you to feel dissatisfied at work. If that is the case, you may not need to make drastic career changes. Your next steps could be to establish some healthy boundaries and to be more intentional in the future about what you take on.
5. Get some professional help.
While your friends and family mean well, they are not fully objective and some may even tell you to “stop your whinging and just get on with it”. Not helpful.
Instead, consider enlisting the help of a professional, such as a counsellor or a career coach, that could help you to better identify the cause of your disengagement and to work through some possible next steps.
Yes, this kind of help isn’t free, but aren’t you worth the investment?
Thanks for taking the time to read the post.