You climbed mountain after mountain, had a ton of responsibilities, and accomplished them all. The motivation came either from the desire to provide a good life for children or to grow professionally and achieve results. Or maybe from both. You feel that motivation came with a constant hustle, to do everything well and very well. You were like a puppeteer who never stopped. For a while, it seems that you don’t want to continue with the same excitement, but that doesn’t mean that you no longer have the motivation and desire to do other things and have an impact. The biggest challenge now is to feel contentment when you look at your life, to stop and rest and say to yourself, “Wow, look how much I’ve been able to do!”
And you manage to do that, stop and feel gratitude and thanks for all the things you’ve accomplished, for about 5 minutes. Because, afterward, the question automatically comes: “Ready? That was all? Nothing more to come? No more challenges ahead, no more mountains to climb? No new responsibility? What do I do now?
” But just the thought that a new challenge would follow, which would bring you excitement again, makes you completely squirm. Because you don’t want any more fuss.
You experience mixed feelings at this stage of your life and career.
- Uncertainty about the next step. What should the next step in your professional life look like? Should I make a change or do I see myself, in 20 years, retiring from the role I’m in? Until now it was quite clear to you what the steps you need to take are, but now you seem to lack a clear vision of the future.
- The balance between complacency and ambition. You are in the transitional stage between the acute sense of ambition and the desire for gratitude and thanks for the things you have achieved. And it’s hard for you to reconcile these feelings. You want to do, you want to stay. But the experience of past years has shown you that through ambition and agitation, you have grown and done all things.
- Concerns about age and mental and physical changes. You probably feel that you are no longer keeping up with the young people, that compared to 10-20 years ago you are no longer at the same level of energy and strength.
- Change in motivation. Perhaps what motivated you was the desire to give your children a good education and life. Or have you strived to grow both personally and professionally to prove to yourself or those around you that you can? And you could. But now that you’ve succeeded, where do you get your motivation from? Where will you get your motivation in 5-10-15 years? You have nothing left to prove, neither to yourself nor to those around you.
You are going through a transitional stage where you have conflicting feelings and oscillate between doing things the way you have done them up until now and not continuing in the same way.
Imagine what your life would look like if you found new ways to challenge yourself and create impact while feeling grateful for the journey you’ve already taken. How would you navigate this stage with clarity and purpose?
Here are 10 life design techniques that could help you at this stage.
- Embrace the change in motivation. You can change your perspective when you realize that what motivated you 5-10-15 years ago can no longer motivate you now. Reflect on what motivates you now. Write down 5 things that motivate you right now: maybe making a difference in your current work environment, being a mentor to those around you, or maybe exploring a new area of interest.
- It balances contentment with ambition. Redefine what success means to you. Is it possible to be content while being ambitious? Can you appreciate what you’ve accomplished so far while remaining open to new opportunities? Contentment does not mean being satisfied with the situation you are in; contentment can coexist with the desire for growth. Write down what success means to you at this point in your life, not what it meant 10 years ago.
- Increase your crystallized intelligence. Use the experience you have accumulated, this is what crystallized intelligence is defined as. It recognizes the value of the wisdom and experience gained over the years. Use your experience to mentor young professionals to teach them. Sharing your knowledge can be as fulfilling as climbing mountains professionally. Write 5 things that you have learned and that you can enthusiastically share with those around you.
- Explore new paths. Look beyond the standard roles in the organization you work for. Which ones would fulfill the need for challenge and learning? Maybe consulting, getting involved in community projects, writing, and speaking about the industry you work in. Write down 4 things they would love and would tempt you to explore.
- Integrate Learning into your life. Add learning new things to your daily routine: workshops, new courses, connect with other professionals in the same field. What is the course you would like to attend in the next 6 months?
- Proactively approach your age stage. It changes the perspective from “in my time” to “what value do I bring now.” Highlight the accumulated experience, continuous growth, and adaptability as factors that have contributed decisively to your growth as a person and a professional. Write 10 things you know now that you didn’t know 10 years ago, both as a person and as a professional.
- Find a new balance. Experience new approaches, and different methods to balance the drive to take on new challenges, and the desire to maintain optimal physical and mental health. Write down 3 ways you would evaluate any new challenge you take on with your physical and mental health in mind.
- Reflect and plan. Set clear intentions. What have you achieved so far? What do you want to achieve from now on? Set clear goals for the next phase of your career and life. Setting clear goals can include milestones for personal growth, professional development, or the impact you want to have on others. Write down 3 clear goals for the next phase of your career and life and roughly what the time frame is to achieve them.
- Engage in a process of self-discovery. Explore personal interests. What activities are you passionate about that you haven’t had time to explore before? It can include anything, art, music, or keeping up with new technology or social causes. Personal growth in any of these areas can also enrich your professional life because you will be able to see new opportunities that until now you may not have been equipped to see.
- Create a support group. Build relationships with mentors and peers who can provide you with diverse perspectives and support. Engaging in meaningful conversations with others can bring you new ideas and opportunities for growth. Who are the people you can have meaningful conversations with?
These are 10 ways that can help you honor your experience and wisdom gained over time as you explore what motivates you in the next stage of life.