Ep #77: What I learnt from my mid-life crisis

Someone recently asked me why I moved from project management and property development into leadership coaching. And I told them the truth - I'd had a midlife crisis!

I was in my mid-thirties, and to be honest, my life was going great. However, one day, not long into my new dream role, I had this sudden realisation that I was already looking for what was next. I was searching for meaning in the next role and thinking that when I achieved that, that would be when I would suddenly be happy and fulfilled.

For many of us, the reality is that even when we achieve the things we want, we remain feeling unfulfilled and hope that the next goal on our list will bring us the happiness we so desire. 

A startling reality for me on my own journey was that though my career meant a huge amount to me, I actually had to look beyond simply my career. I realised that it had become so much of my identity and was what mattered most to me - more than my relationships and even my family. Once I was able to step back and see how crazy that was, it forced me to reassess my life completely in a way that I had never done. 

Now that I’ve come to the other side of that exploration, I truly believe it all boils down to one simple question: What do you want? 

What do you want your life and career to look like? What actually matters most to you in this one, short life? These questions really require us to think beyond just our careers and the roles we have in and outside of work. It requires us to go deeper and think about what will bring us joy, happiness and contentment in knowing we’re in true alignment. 

I do challenge you to really get clear on your answer, because once you know what it is that you truly want, that is when you can actually take the steps to create it.