Something happens to a lot of successful professionals mid-life: usually late 30s to early 50s. You have the success, you have the big paycheck, and companies want to hire you. This is good news, especially in a struggling economy! Yet, you may have a nagging feeling that there is something ‘more’, better, or different that may help you leap out of bed in the morning, excited to get to ‘work.’
Chances are…
Chances are that you started out your career after getting a degree in college, during a time in your life when you’re not really sure about what makes you most happy and successful. Let’s face it, when you’re in our late teens and early 20s, you’re still gaining a lot of life experiences and don’t know all of the options out there. So, you do your best to choose a degree and career that is as close to the mark as possible.
If you were lucky, you got a job that you do well in and your career continues to grow via promotions, added responsibilities and a bigger paycheck. This all seems great for a while until you realize that there is this sinking feeling that we may not be ‘in love’ with our career. It feels like something is missing or falling short from expectations.
Not as Easy as it Sounds…
Yet changing careers in mid-life or later in life isn’t as easy as it sounds. You may be asking: “Where do I start?”…“If I was to change careers, how do I keep the money coming in to sustain my lifestyle?”…“How can I do something more fulfilling without having to ‘start over’?” I love these kinds of questions because they only come from people who care about having your most ideal career.
If you’re truly dedicated to having your most happy, successful, ideal career, you must know what you want and need before you start going out to research career and job options. This is the biggest mistake I see professionals making when trying to figure out ‘what’s next’ for them in their career: exploring jobs and career options without having their priority list in place.
Got a List?
When we buy a car or a house, we usually put together a priority list. We have our ‘non-negotiables’ and we have our ‘bonus items’. Some of us write it down, some of us just talk about it. Either way, this keeps us sane and gives us focus because there are so many options for cars and houses! If we didn’t have a priority list, where would we start?
Keep this in mind when it comes to career transition too. Rather than looking at any and all of the careers and jobs available on the planet or in your industry, start with your wish list and then go from there.
Guest Post by Kelly Harrington, Career and Success Systems Expert.
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