Embracing A Mid-Life Change With Ease

5 practical tips for embracing a mid-life change with ease and empowerment:

If you’re feeling a longing and a calling for something more—something that satisfies your deep desire for purpose—you might be considering a career change, a move to another state or town (heck even country!) or a relationship change.

Mid-life changes really represent a quest for our identity. Unfortunately, our society tends to frown upon many of these changes, perpetuating the idea that we have to have our career path, family, purpose, or lifestyle set in stone during our 20s and 30s. 

Not only is this assumption far from the truth, many women and men are proving it false by switching their careers or making big moves after 30, 40 and 50, to meet higher expectations. Mid-life quests for identity can be inspired for a number of reasons, including the desire to reconcile personal values with work that is more meaningful.

If you resonate at all with this, the good news is that this craving to achieve more, realize your full potential, and step into your true self is possible. Contrary to mainstream thought, a mid-life quest for identity is not a crisis. Rather, it is a quest for more greatness.

Consider Julia Child as an example. Julia is well known for her culinary creativity and skill, but did you know her career was in secret intelligence, media and advertising all the way until she was 50? So, if you’re questioning whether it’s feasible to do a 180-degree career shift after 40 or even 50, Julia’s a great inspiration.

Or, think of the world-famous fashion designer Vera Wang. She was a journalist and figure skater until she was 40. Just like Julia’s shift from secret intelligence to culinary arts, Vera Wang’s shift from journalism and skating to fashion is a prime example of the fact that no lifestyle or career shift is “too extreme.”

This is because when we are on a quest for our identity, and step into a new lifestyle that matches that true identity, we align ourselves with our full potential. This makes the process of actually achieving what we want much easier. The key to taking this step lies in changing our belief system—letting go of society’s beliefs that tell us “we can’t,” and instead creating our new self-identity with our thoughts. 

Here are 5 practical tips for embracing a mid-life change with ease and empowerment:

1. Identify what you really want. Not what society says you should want. Not even what your kids or spouse tell you that you should want. What do you want? What purpose, or longing, do you want to give permission, attention and energy to?
2. Shift your paradigm. Like we talked about, your thoughts and beliefs run the show. They are the keys and the foundation to making a shift—in your career and your identity. Instead of thinking about the career, the boss, the schedule or the type of work you don’t want, intentionally think about what it feels like to be living and doing what you do want, now.
3. Shift your self-image. This goes along with shifting your paradigm. Who do you want to be? Who do you want to see yourself as? Remember, YOU get to define you; no one else. How you see yourself, how you think about yourself, creates you. You have the freedom to change anytime you want. If you struggle to “not care” what others think, shifting your self-image is a great practice for reclaiming your confidence and true identity. And remember—it does not matter how old you are!
4. Set big goals. A goal is designed to help you grow. It causes you to draw something from yourself that you didn't even know was there. If you are going to accomplish something you are going to need to be inspired by going after something you really want. It's going to have to come from inside. 
5. Work with a coach or mentor. Steps 1 through 4 are much easier with guidance and accountability. Instead of re-inventing the wheel, learn from someone who has practiced the process and save yourself from years of struggle. Reading about what we “should” or “can” do is easy. Doing it and changing our behaviors is another story. This is where a coach comes in. As John Ruskin says so well, “Education does not mean teaching people what they do not know. It means teaching them to behave as they do not behave.” A great coach or mentor doesn’t just give you knowledge—a great coach trains you to change your behaviors, starting with your thoughts.  

?? If you’re considering a change in life, career shift or starting your own business, don’t know where to start, or simply want someone to talk through challenges and options with, get in touch with me today and message me here! Program only available until we reach capacity, so call now to find out more. To your success, Mary Vivian ??