As we get older as women, there are many things we are told we should be, such as a good mother, a helpful wife, and a successful career woman. But what if we are not some of these statements, or are not any of these statements? Then what? As women, we’ve had to fight for many aspects of our lives over the decades, and fighting to be in a job we enjoy is no different. So, if you are finding that you are not happy in your current career, there is absolutely nothing stopping you from fulfilling your dreams and having a job you love.
Reasons why
Some people may wonder what’s the point of changing an aspect of your life once you hit middle age, but if you think about it, your time is a little bit more precious than when you were in your twenties, so if anything, why not change for the better and enjoy the next half-century of your life. Think about the areas of your life where you could be happier.
Making that adjustment to your career means that you can continue to enjoy a rewarding life and adapt to the advancing age. You can also use your experience for the better and make use of all your years in the workplace.
Who am I
One of those adjustments is knowing who you are. What makes you tick? Take a look at your personality and analyze what you need to be happy. One of the ways this can be done is if you ask your close friends and family to list your personality traits, not just as a career woman but as a person in general. Then take that list and see if your current job is rewarding all the amazing traits you have, and if not research into what jobs you can do to enhance some of those traits. For example, if your friends tell you that listening is something that you do incredibly well and if you feel that this is very true and something you enjoy, then retraining as a counsellor could be a great option for you.
Have a Good Think
When you listen to professionals who have cared for the terminally ill talk about what was the overriding rule that these people wished they had changed, what most of them found was they regretted not doing something they loved when they had the chance.
Make sure you don’t find yourself in the trap of “I wish I had done this…” and “I regret not doing that…” and list all the things that you wish you had done over the years in your career, then make a definite plan to start working on actually doing those things.
Be Realistic
The only way to achieve a successful change in career for any age, let alone those over 50, is by being realistic and knowing your boundaries. It will do nothing for your confidence if you aim to change something that is just not practical, whereas taking a look at your current lifestyle and routine and making a change that compliments it is more worthwhile. For example, if you are an avid fitness fan and often go to the gym to take part in classes, then it’s perfectly reasonable to believe you can become a Gym Instructor or Personal trainer either for your age group or younger.
Consider all Options
If changing your career seems too daunting for now, take baby steps. Have a look locally to see if you can do some volunteering work in a field that interests you to find out if this is something you want to do. Paid part-time work can have the same effect in that you get to fully immerse yourself in a new challenge without necessarily having to leave the current role you’re in. If you’re considering self-employment, then consulting can be a new challenge for you as this also allows you to gauge an idea of whether you want to leave the financial security of your current role as you’ll get to find out what the level of need for a self-employed version of your job may be.
If getting up in the morning fills you with dread, then now is the best time to reevaluate what is important to you and work out how you can make changes in your career that will make you happy for the rest of your working life.
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