As a career and leadership coach for the past 16 years and working with thousands of midlife professionals around the world—and through my own career change twenty years ago—I’ve witnessed virtually everything you can imagine regarding the do’s and don’ts of career pivot and change after 40.
First, it’s important to understand yourself and your talents and abilities more deeply than you do now. Think about what you’ll give up everything for, what you value, your priorities, standards of integrity, non-negotiables and your style, preferences, and ideals. Many professionals don’t have a real understanding or self-awareness about these important aspects of their professional and personal lives.
You may also have limiting beliefs and mindsets about money, success, power, your worth and value, etc., or you may take repeated actions that hold you back or sabotage you from reaching the next level of success. For many people, it’s a problem with their, and pushes away any kind of positive support or help. For others still, it’s a lack of confidence or a belief that they’re “less than” and not worthy of advancing or experiencing great joy and satisfaction in their work.
Real progress doesn’t just magically happen. Nothing will change if we wait until we think we know exactly what we want to do before we take any steps toward our own development. And success won’t come at all if you’re so desperately afraid of failing and losing everything that you won’t even consider exploring some exciting new directions.