9 lessons…(no carols!)
As 2023 draws to a close, providing time for reflection and the chance to think about how we might want the year ahead to be different, these are the 9 key things I’ve learned about myself and the process of mid-life career change in the 9 months since leaving the corporate world and starting to build my new portfolio career…
That I’ve no regrets for having taken the difficult decision to leave my corporate career behind - I now feel much less stressed, more grounded, energised, and in control of my own destiny – for me, it’s all about the long-game, engaging in work that’s meaningful to me and that I can continue doing for as long as I choose to, flexing my working hours to suit, rather than being expected to continually push towards the next set of externally-imposed targets and the impending ‘cliff-edge’ of traditional retirement…
That self-belief is everything! - along with having the discipline and perseverance to keep going when the going gets tough, or you appear to be making limited progress. Growing a business that is essentially defined by your unique skills, experiences, and expertise takes time, patience, and persistence; it’s about sowing the seeds, then remembering to go back and water them on a regular basis – accepting that it will take time for them to produce green shoots, that many will be slow-growing, and others will simply fail to take hold at all…
That you don’t need to have all the answers at the outset – just the courage to take the first steps and allow the path ahead to become clearer over time…
That it’s ok to make mistakes – or to head off in one direction, then change your mind. Change – particularly career change - is rarely a linear process; experiential learning is vital – as is the ability to recognise when you’re going down the wrong path, to course correct, take the learnings, and move on. Listen to and trust your gut instinct / intuition!
That I’ve become much more comfortable with uncertainty and ‘not knowing’ – both around my career transition and the evolution of my new working identity as a coach / Pilates teacher, and around other broader, contextual ‘unknowns’ in my life. Worrying about things we can’t control or events that haven’t yet happened, rarely serves any useful purpose.
That I really don’t miss my old corporate identity, or the one-dimensional view of success and individual worth as being defined by a job title and position in the corporate hierarchy. Allowing an old identity to fall away can be strangely liberating – likewise, learning to live with less (and becoming more mindful of what I’m spending), as I’ve learned to adapt to my new financial reality.
That I still have unrealised potential and am capable of so much more than I had the opportunity to be during my corporate career – venturing into unknown territory forces you to adopt a beginner’s mind, to be open to learning and to confront long-held beliefs around what you can and can’t do head-on (which can be uncomfortable, but so worth it!)
That time spent reading, engaging with others and in personal reflection may feel like a luxury (particularly when the prevailing workplace culture tends to be defined by productivity) – but has definitely been time well spent, helping me to deepen my sense of self, and gain clarity on the best way forward, whilst being inspired by others’ stories and the opportunity to learn from the learnings and insights they’ve shared.
That it’s never too late to make a fresh start! Whilst the prevailing narrative may be that, as a mid-life female I’m past it, on a trajectory of decline and ready to be put out to grass (i.e., that traditional retirement beckons…), like many mid-life professional women, I believe I still have a lot to offer – and the energy and drive to deliver whatever I put my mind to. Having conceived and set up two ‘micro-businesses’ in the past 9 months, and with lots of ideas for other things to potentially add into the mix in the future, I’m very much ‘not done yet’!
If you’re a mid-life professional looking to make changes to your working life (what you’re doing, or the way you’re working) in 2024 – or to create a more purposeful ‘non-retirement’ for yourself, then I’d be very happy to work with you, and support you on your journey.