When I was in my mid-fifties, I was in transition, and clueless. The signs were there but I refused to see them. That’s because if I noticed them, I’d have to think about what comes next. And that was scary! So I kept working at the same things I’d done for the last twenty years, pretending they were still important to me. But denial only works for so long. You’ve got to pay attention to the signs or they will come back and bite you in the ankles. Here are signs that you’re in your mid-life transition:
- You can’t shake the idea that you’ve just passed a milestone birthday.
- Your present career plan has reached a plateau and you are questioning the value of your work.
- You are excessively irritated by new rules and regulations at work, and find such things as commuting in traffic intolerable.
- Things that previously motivated you at work (having power or being competitive) no longer seem so important to you.
- You want to read a book for pleasure and not think of it as an action project.
- You focus on things you aren’t doing in life, and long for a better work/life balance.
- You want to spend your time doing something that has meaning and purpose.
- You feel an urgent need to explore your creative side, reconnect with long-lost friends and family, and focus on having a healthy lifestyle.
- You want to overcome self-limiting foibles and finally discard demons that hold you back.
10. You no longer want to postpone acting upon your dreams.
Adapted from my book, Smart Women Don’t Retire – They Break Free: From Working Full-Time to Living Full-Time by THE TRANSITION NETWORK and Gail Rentsch.
Springboard Press/ Grand Central Publishing. June 2008.
check out www.thetransitionnetwork.org
