Is That All There Is?

So much has been written about the dreaded mid-life crisis.

Likely because it has the ability to impact every area of one’s life, including career…

I experienced it myself in my forties and I see it with many of my clients.

It usually goes something like this:

👉🏻 You go to school and work hard to gain the knowledge and credentials required for your desired field.

👉🏻 You start working, you work hard, you create results for your employer and/or business.

👉🏻 You get promoted or your business grows and everyone is impressed with your success.

👉🏻 You enjoy the fruits of your labor with an enviable lifestyle. You’re sometimes even proud of what you’ve managed to accomplish.

And then, it hits you.

It happens gradually for some, and suddenly for others.

You look in the mirror, and the pesky question pops into your head:

IS THIS ALL THERE IS? 

You feel guilty for even thinking that, how can you not be grateful for what you’ve created, for all your blessings?

But the question keeps coming up.

It’s this gnawing feeling inside that won’t leave you alone. A sense of… it’s been a great ride with my career so far, and now what?

You get a sense of panic when you start to think that you might “have” to do the same type of work for the next 15+ years!!!

And a mid-career existential crisis is born.

You start dreading the start of your work week.

You feel like work is no longer exciting, you’re bored.

New projects are no longer fun.

You know you’re capable of more, you’re ready for new challenges

You start to keep an eye out for other jobs, you pursue a few and nothing happens.

It’s challenging as you can do your job with your eyes closed, but work many hours each week. There’s no time left for job searching.

Plus you’re not sure exactly what your next career move should even be!

You start thinking that maybe you’re too old to make a change?

This crisis inside is starting to have negative effects on you.

It starts to impact your relationships to a certain extent. You can’t think of too many positive things to say about your career.

Where on earth are you supposed to go from here???

I propose starting with 1 simple shift, with 1 simple change of sentences to focus on in your brain.

What if – you work to shift the “Is this all there is” to: