Volume 4, Issue 4 - April 2003

Are you having
a professional mid-life crisis?
By Rhonda Scharf (Finniss)

Most people go through a period in their professional life where they become stuck. Have you ever caught yourself despairing, "Is this what I'm going to do every day for the rest of my life?" If so, you may have been professionally stuck, facing a mid-life crisis.

I had a professional mid-life crisis at the tender age of 28. I started out loving my job - I was getting paid well and was successful at my job. Then, without realizing it, I drifted into the comfort zone. I could work for a whole morning on automatic pilot. Life was easy, and comfortable - too comfortable. The problem arose when I stayed in that comfort zone too long. My life went from comfortable to stuck - in a professional rut. I was in a professional mid-life crisis. My job was easy, I liked my colleagues, the money was great, and I had no reason to change anything - except that my job no longer satisfied me.

How do you get over a mid-life crisis? Through focus, goal-setting, positive thinking and career counselling. For me, the focus and goal-setting were the most important elements. I asked myself, "what would I do as a job if money wasn't an issue?"

Examine your motives
Are you doing what you're doing because of the money, or because it works well with your family schedule, or the commute is easy? If you love what you do enough, those other components won't matter.

Why did you take your job in the first place? If the answer is money, you may be in trouble. The same way you shouldn't marry someone for money, you shouldn't take a job just because it pays well. There has to be more to the job than just the paycheque.

Think back to when you started your job. What part of it did you love the most? What part did you get excited about? You can find ways to get those elements back into your daily work life.

Ask yourself what you would be doing if money wasn't an issue. Would it be your current job? If not, it may be time to face up to your mid-life professional crisis. Here's how:

Focus. Spend some time thinking about your current job and your reasons for taking the job in the first place. Think about your job's pros and cons.

Re-examine your goals. Are they still relevant? If not, it's time to come up with some new ones.

Stay positive. Change may be painful in the short-term, but if it gets you out of a rut, it's a good thing in the long run. Think of this as a positive time - you're doing something good for yourself.

If you're still in a rut, seek advice from a career counsellor or trusted mentor or friend.

Imagine going in to work each day, loving the job you do and enjoying every minute of it. If you face up to your professional mid-life crisis in a positive and courageous way, that's how your life can be!

Rhonda Scharf (Finniss), CSP is a Certified Professional Speaker, Trainer and Author and President of ON THE RIGHT TRACK - Training & Consulting and is available to deliver customized training programs or keynote speeches at your next convention. Call her today at 1-877-213-8608 or e-mail Rhonda@on-the-right-track.com. Why not take a moment and sign up here for her complimentary quarterly newsletter.