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Quick Career Advice Reply 4. How To Prevent A Mid-Life Crisis Dear Ann: I am a 43 year old marketing manager, successful at what I do, but can’t imagine doing it for the rest of my life. Is this a mid-life crisis or do I need a new career direction? Possibly both. It’s normal to go through regular turning points in adult life where we want to express aspects of ourselves which have not had an outlet. If we guess at what that might be, we could make a radical turn which is off the mark. Or, worse still, do nothing and endure the lack of fulfillment.* These turning points can come rather suddenly and unexpectedly, and sometimes the reasons behind them are not altogether clear. Relatively satisfied people can find themselves thinking about change—sometimes major change. For example, when Jim hit this point in mid-life, he toyed with the idea of starting his own business, but was anxious about the risk involved. Fortunately, Jim decided to go through a Highlands seminar offered by his company in order to look more carefully at his situation and try to figure out what needed changing. He learned that he has a number of powerful abilities which allow him to solve problems quickly and intuitively, but that he needs a very fast-paced environment that involves a lot of quick problem solving to feel sufficiently challenged. What most people would call chaotic is where his talents shine. Tom approached his boss about taking on more short-term, tactical assignments which would call on his natural “trouble-shooter” style. As he became more adept at defining his strengths, he participated more effectively in directing his career at his company. The moral: you don’t need to make a complete overhaul in your career to increase your satisfaction. A 10% change can make a 100% difference. The difficult part is finding the right 10%. If you’re at one of life’s turning points, and they tend to come around the decade marks, it’s good idea to be proactive and get professional consultation so you don’t have a crisis. |
