What do you do if your personal and professional goals clash in late career?

If you’re going to act on your changing priorities, be prepared for a potential shift in your sense of identity. After I sold my company in 2020, I felt lost for a while (and of course the pandemic didn’t help). Eventually I settled into the “new normal,” but I was adrift for longer than I would have expected. Do choose yourself, live your best life, etc. But if you find yourself wondering what your life is really all about, honor and trust yourself enough to persist. Assess and reassess. The answers will come.

Your personal as well as professional life is majorly impacted by your core values & goals in life. It's extremely important to brainstorm & bring both of these aspects on the same page as lastly, it's all YOU. If you have different values in your personal & professional lives, the chances are you'll be dissatisfied at the end of the day. Career goals & personal goals might differ but they still need to be put in the same plan & let go of the goals that do not align with both sides of your life.

In my opinion, whenever personal and professional goals clash at any point in your career, it can be challenging. It’s essential to remember that self-care and family fall within a personal space, which can sometimes lead to career conflicts. Balancing personal well-being, family commitments, and professional aspirations requires thoughtful navigation and adaptability.

One of the advantages of being late in a career is that you have a lot of experience of the professional world. So when your professional and personal goals clash, you need to take a step back and assess the implications on you, your family and your role. In my experience, after spending many years in a corporate role, I longed for greater control of my destiny and so I initially joined a startup before launching my own business. While I appreciate that this is not necessarily everyone's path, I feel that you tend to have a better perspective of what is and isn't important over time, and choosing which goal is more important to you should become easier.

When personal and professional goals clash late in one's career, it's essential to reassess priorities and values. Reflect on what truly matters and consider compromises or adjustments that align with both sets of goals. This might involve renegotiating work arrangements, seeking mentorship or counseling, or transitioning to a role that better accommodates personal aspirations while still leveraging professional expertise. Maintaining open communication with colleagues and loved ones can help navigate this challenging intersection effectively.

From my experience, flexibility is key when personal and professional goals start to clash, especially later in one's career. In my small business, we've accommodated team members facing such dilemmas by adjusting work schedules, shifting to part-time roles, or even introducing telecommuting options. These adjustments help maintain a balance between personal satisfaction and professional productivity. This approach not only supports our team members during crucial life stages but also reinforces their loyalty to the business, creating a mutually beneficial work environment. It's about finding creative solutions that respect both personal needs and business objectives.

Having reinvented myself 4 times in my illustrious insurance career, it is about being honest with what you love to do and how can that be monetized. It means we have to figure out how we can start over and know what we need to relinquish to ensure we can preserve some enjoyment in this new endeavor. This takes reflection, trial and error, humility, research, and brainstorming with trusted resources. It also means we could be facing a realization that RESILIENCE may be a characteristic we've underrated.

It's hard to start the process of reevaluating goals. It can feel as if you failed at your past goals or maybe, never truly aligned with them. It can be even harder to say goodbye to goals you didn't meet. Life changes and it's not realistic to think that our goals won't change as we grow. I find that knowing and really understanding my 'why' can help. If I'm clear on the direction I can start to break down what going to get me there and what my new goals are. Getting to a place in life where you realize some goals no longer serve you can be a great place to be.

In my experience, it's vital to periodically reassess your goals, especially when personal and professional objectives begin to conflict. Over the years, I've learned that what we want from our careers can change as our personal lives evolve. In my own small business, taking the time to redefine what success looks like has allowed me to align my professional targets with my current personal aspirations. This might mean shifting focus, scaling back, or even pursuing new directions that better suit my life now. It's perfectly okay to reset goals; this can lead to renewed motivation and satisfaction, both personally and professionally.

As we grow, our lives will change and what used to be what was needed, is no longer of value. We have to readjust ourselves, even if it means learning new things. We have to be happy in our personal lives and our professional ones. If one of them is causing us to struggle, we need to figure out what it is and change course if necessary.

Change is hard when it's your choice and even harder when it's not. It took me a long time to understand that even good changes can be hard. Change almost always means saying goodbye to something. Sometimes we're happy to say goodbye and other times, it presents with great loss. I've found that as I get older, surrendering to the changes makes them a little easier. There's only so much you can control. I take action where I can and let other things happen as they need to. I was given advice early in my career to always have a Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C so that you always have a direction. This has helped tremendously and can provide focus when it's needed most.

This happens to me because as a helper I take on too much, now I limit myself to 5 things at a time, and if a sixth, seventh or eighth one tries sneaking in - my boundaries go up unless it is a good project then something else has to go.

Being able to lean into your network is critical. The advice from others who have different experiences, visions, and connections is a greatly undervalued tool. If you don't have the right circle, find it. Volunteer, connect with people at events, engage online. You never know when you'll connect with the right person at the right time. And never be afraid to ask questions. Ask for advice, direction, thoughts, etc. Feedback from others can be profound and you never know when it's going to change your life.

Strategic planning has been indispensable in navigating the intersection of personal and professional goals in my career. By creating a detailed roadmap, I've been able to outline clear steps to gradually adjust my role and responsibilities within my business. This included setting financial targets, upskilling in key areas, and delegating duties to trusted team members. Planning allowed me to make these transitions smoother and less disruptive, ensuring I could balance achieving professional objectives with fulfilling personal ambitions. This proactive approach helps in moving towards a future that harmoniously satisfies both life aspects.

It all depends on the space you're in at the particular point in time. 1. Are you in a comfortable place financially to sacrifice career over personal? 2. Are you in a comfortable place personally to sacrifice personal over career? 3. Are there common denominators in both career and personal allowing you to achieve both and be satisfied? 4. What are the clashes and can you see or create a win win? 5. Late in life doesn't mean you have to give up anything especially if it matters to you. Just pace, prioritize and enjoy the journey and take the focus off the destination. 6. Why see it as a clash? What's causing you to see it that way? Don't allow external factors to determine your path.

When personal and professional goals clash in late career, it can be a challenging and pivotal moment. It's essential to take a step back and evaluate what truly matters to you at this stage in your life. Reflect on your values, priorities, and what brings you fulfillment. Finding a way to integrate your personal and professional goals, or making adjustments to align them more closely, can be a positive approach. It might involve redefining success, seeking new opportunities that cater to both aspects, or even considering a shift in career focus if it better serves your personal aspirations. Ultimately, it's about finding a balance that allows you to feel content and accomplished both personally and professionally.