Let’s assume that you are in your mid – 40s and hold over a decade’s experience in your profession. You are a part of the senior management, have a well settled family, a house, mortgages and almost everything else that a higher middle class family has. On your mind is the thought of setting aside some money for the future higher education expenses of your child. But all of a sudden, your job starts to seem like a burden. It is not that you started to hate your profession overnight, but the routine is making you wear down. You start contemplating your options and soon realize that with your age and position in the organization, there aren’t many switching options. You happen to be in the rut and have negative thoughts all around. This is how you end up in a professional mid life crisis.
Your professional mid life crisis can be averted
Though it doesn’t happen to every professional, a mid life crisis isn’t too uncommon to be ignored. Many of my clients go through such a professional mid life crisis and look for ways to overcome this. The overpowering emotion during this professional mid life crisis is of getting stuck in life. Therefore, my first advice is to start doing something and create a positive momentum in life. A possible way would be to look closely at the current job and untapped opportunities which may, in turn, lift your spirits and give you some added responsibilities. Such initiatives would also place you in the good books of your boss.
A lateral move within the organization could also be a way to come out of the professional mid life crisis you are going through. Though it might not come with a remuneration hike, it would be satiating for your soul. One of the major factors leading to the professional mid life crisis is halt in learning and acquiring new skills. Adding a new professional skill can give a new dimension to your professional life and give you confidence to take up new roles within or outside your organization.
Lastly, I advise my clients to look beyond their jobs to enrich their life and come out of their professional mid life crisis. Relishing your personal life would only make your professional life more enriching and put an end to your mid life crisis.