Midlife Career Change:
An Opportunity For Self Discovery
Do you want a midlife career change that is meaningful and rewarding? Do you wish you could feel excited and passionate about the work you're doing?
A midlife career change can be your path to finding work that
inspires you and makes full use of your
unique strengths
and natural talents. Work that you enjoy doing and
that you
can't wait to share with
others.
But before you begin thinking about what your next career will be, take some time to become an expert on you.
The only way to learn what sort of work and work environment would suit you best is to discover (or re-discover) those aspects of yourself you may have ignored or "put aside". Self-knowledge is important when changing careers at midlife.
Once you decide to change careers, it's natural to want to rush into something else quickly, especially if you're feeling burned out or disenchanted with your old career. You want the answers now! The discomfort and impatience you're feeling are sure signs that parts of you are feeling ignored and are now clamoring for your attention.
The thing is... you may not even know what you want at this time in your life. You may have lost track of who you are.
Do you really know...
- what your strengths and personal core values are?
- what your life purpose is?
- what you love to do?
- what keeps you from moving forward?
Midlife is the time to dust off those neglected parts of yourself. It's an opportunity to explore what you want to do, with a focus on personal growth and purpose, fulfillment and enjoyment. The process of self discovery does take some time and a bit of courage, but it can be fun and the results will ultimately be much more rewarding.
Find Your Dream Career
Think of self discovery as an adventure, an important journey to take before moving forward with your midlife career change. Allow yourself to explore, to learn, to be a beginner again.
Some part of you does know what you want to do, the path that's right for you. Here are some ideas to get you started with re-discovering who you are:
- read - look for books about self development and career exploration, and do the exercises in the books
- write - keep a notebook with you to jot down ideas and capture your thoughts as they occur; set aside a time each day to write in your journal and get to know yourself better
- sign up for some classes and workshops - you can find courses in personal growth and career change strategies that are offered online or as a teleconference call
- take some time alone for reflection - learn to listen to yourself again, get in touch with your thoughts and dreams
- take a career self assessment - there are many personality and career assessments available online, and many of those are free
Making midlife career changes or finding a retirement career that's a good match with your interests and personality may not be easy. But if you want a career that's satisfying, take the time to think things through and be clear about your preferences before you make any decisions.
Consider more than income this time around. Think about...
- your personal satisfaction
- how you want to express your talents
- what you want to contribute to others.
It's never too late to find your dream career.
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