What do you do if you're a late career professional struggling to find motivation in your work?

If you're a late-career professional struggling to find motivation in your work, it's essential to reconnect with your passion and purpose. Reflect on your achievements, experiences, and the impact you've made throughout your career to reignite your sense of fulfillment and meaning. Set new goals and challenges for yourself, whether it's mastering a new skill, mentoring others, or pursuing a passion project. Seek opportunities for growth and learning, whether through professional development programs, networking, or pursuing hobbies and interests outside of work. Additionally, consider seeking support from mentors, peers, or career coaches to explore new opportunities and overcome any obstacles or doubts you may have.

It's important to go back to the basics. What purpose has your career served in your life? Is it to create impact? To build a nest egg for retirement? Then, assess how close you are to your goals and what comes next. With financial stability, comes freedom to do things that have personal meaning. Pursuing your purpose doesn't stop at the end of a job and can even follow you into retirement. It's up to you to define what looks like.

As a late career professional, one of the best things you can do is take a step back and reassess your goals. Start by reflecting on what initially inspired you to pursue your career path - what were your passions and aspirations. Have those changed over time? Consider realigning your current role and responsibilities with a renewed sense of purpose. This could involve seeking out new projects, taking on additional responsibilities, or even exploring opportunities for within your organization. The key is to reconnect with your values and ambitions.

This is a great question! According to a recent Pew article, workers aged 75 and older are the fastest growing age group in the workforce! So, if you are a "silver sage" at work, here are a few things you can do to get re-energized: 1. Become a mentor, you know things (i.e., organizational history, past practice, and engagement strategies that predate cell phones and social media.)?? 2. Take a class and learn some new skill germane to your current role. It's important to keep your skill sharp! 3. Volunteer for new projects. This is a way to increase your network, re-introduce the organization to your brilliance and do something purposeful. 4. Start a side-hustle! Monetize your years of experience and expertise by teaching others.

Another way to reignite your motivation is by actively seeking out new challenges. Look for ways to expand your skillset, whether it's learning or tackling a complex problem, or taking on a leadership role. Challenging yourself can breathe life into your work and help you rediscover the sense of fulfillment that may have faded over time. Plus don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone - stepping into the unknown can be invigorating and help you grow both professionally and personally.

Sometimes, a lack of motivation stems from feeling stagnant or not having clear goals to work towards. Consider setting new, achievable goals that align with your interests and values. These goals can give you a sense of purpose and direction.

As a experienced professional, you have a wealth of knowledge and expertise to share. Consider taking on a mentorship role, either informally with colleagues or through a more structured program within your organization. Sharing your insights and guiding others can be incredibly rewarding, and the process of teaching and supporting others can rekindle your own passion and motivation. See the growth and development of those you mentor, and take pride in the positive impact you're making on the next generation of professionals.

No one gets to define what's "late-career" other than you. A career doesn't have to stop when you turn 60. Many people are very productive into their 70s and 80s. On the flip side, there are many ways to contribute and live out your passions beyond just a job. Reflect on the lifestyle and impact you'd like to have in the next phase of your life. Then, be intentional about designing that life.

Reassessing goals, seeking challenges, mentoring others etc. are all great things to consider and implement. However, if you done all or most and are still not feeling motivated, you may want to consider if you need to step out of your workplace or your precessional career and consider a different path all together. This is a scary thing to do and most people will not act on this because it will take them completely outside of their comfort zone and zone of genius, and force them to contend with the unknown as well as be a beginner or novice once more. My advice? Do it scared!!! You have obviously outgrown your environment and maintaining the status quo would mean suppressing your genius.

Struggling to find motivation at work at any stage of a career can be frustrating and lead to feelings of inadequacy. It's important to find out what will motivate you and what steps you can take to turn that into reality. Sometimes the inevitable change that is looming later in a career makes it more overwhelming. Speaking to a neutral change specialist such as a coach who specialises in adapting their coaching to your personal values and aspirations will help you find your new or rekindled motivation.