The world has changed very quickly in the last decade and continues to change. People are beginning to realise that the way they lived their lives in the past is no longer working for them. Change can happen at any age and you always have options to change your career and your life if your heart and soul are calling you to find your purpose. If you are at a new chapter in your life and your current career is no longer serving you, but you are thinking that it’s too late to make changes, this blog post is for you!
Are you looking around you and everyone seems happy, your family and friends all seem to have their life figured out. Well, think about this for just a minute! Are those people really happy or are they just working in a soul destroying job and doing what everyone else is doing because they want a bigger house or a new car? Are they really happy with how their life is working out for them, their career and their relationships? If you are asking these questions, you can soon realise that their happiness is all on the surface with their material things. However, the reality is probably very different from what their heart is telling them. The most important person in the room is you and how you decide to live your life.
Do you want to be part of the crowd or do you want to feel your soul on fire when you wake up every day and do what you love? If you have come this far in reading my blog post, continue reading you are on the way to set your soul on fire!
There will always be opportunities at any age, you were able to travel and change jobs in your twenties, thirties and your forties. There is nothing stopping you from doing the same in your fifties, it all depends on what you want. I started studying for a new career in my forties and I’m constantly learning and developing my knowledge in other areas of interest in my fifties! It’s never too late to start over and do what you love.
Here are 5 steps to embrace change and start a new career in your fifties:
1. Accept that age is just a number
If you have turned fifty you might have feelings of regret that you haven’t reached the stage where you want to be in your life. It’s totally normal to feel this way as many people go through similar emotions. However, living with regrets can prevent you from moving forward in your life. I believe if I still have my breath, I can find a way to live my dreams and so can you! You are still YOU, so don’t find an excuse just because you are looking at a big number. Look at the positives; you have a ton of experience behind you and you can use all your transferable knowledge and channel your energy into something new and exciting! There is no barrier, but your mind will try to keep you safe in your comfort zone and invent all the reasons to prevent change. Remember you are not your mind, you have the courage to change your life.
2. Let go of the previous version of yourself
This is easier said than done! However, you can make a decision to forgive the people that have hurt you in the past and most importantly forgive yourself. Practice self-compassion to allow yourself to let go of the past. If you feel embarrassed about a situation in your past you are still suffering because you are keeping it alive in your mind. Whatever is holding you back from moving forward, learn to let it go. That was the previous version of who you were, now you are creating your new chapter. Every day is a chance to start a new chapter and when we turn fifty we realise that we need to use every second of our day wisely. Embrace the new confident version of YOU and you can be surprised at what you can achieve when you focus on the positive in your life.
3. What do you really want
You have accepted that age is just a number and you have let go of the previous version of yourself to change your mindset and embrace the new confident version of yourself. So what’s next? The next step is to decide what you really want. What makes your heart sing, what is the excitement that will make you want to wake up early in the morning, jump out of bed with enthusiasm and continue working on your dream? Schedule some time, get your notebook and start making a list of things that make you happy. If you want to leave your current job and follow your passion, what steps will you need to take to make that happen and how long will it take you? Do you need training or can you start building your business part time while continuing to work in your full time job? There are many steps to think about and this is not for the faint-hearted or for people that are not fully committed to making the changes to improve their life. It all starts with a decision, decide what you want and what you have to do to get there. Start as soon as you have set your goals. Change takes time and patience but if you are committed and keep working towards achieving your goals, you can make it happen.
4. Have a back-up plan
There will be moments when the ego, your mind will start screaming loudly inside your head telling you all the reasons why you can fail. The mind will always try to keep you safe. You are human and there will be times when self-doubt and fear will try and sabotage your plans! However, you can be prepared as the mind will continue to tell negative stories that can hold you back from living your dreams. Write down the worst-case scenario and think of a back-up plan, can you afford to live on savings for a while until your new business starts making money? Do you want to look for a new job and how long will it take you if you decide to leave your current job? There are many questions and in some situations fear can be a positive thing as it helps you to realise that creating a plan is necessary as you don’t want to be in a negative situation if everything falls apart. In a worst-case scenario you will have your back-up plan and you can continue moving forward. There are no guarantees in life but if you don’t take a risk and believe in yourself you will never know what is possible and what you can achieve.
5. Keep learning and embrace changes
Moving into a new career or creating a business can have many challenges along the way. Don’t allow fear or limiting beliefs about your age or how things will happen to hold you back from living your dream life. Hold yourself accountable for your decisions and actions. Set your goals and continue learning along the way as you won’t have all the answers and no one can tell you what is right or wrong. You are creating everything as you continue moving forward one step at a time. Your new career can become your lifestyle in many ways as you can turn your hobby into a fulfilling business. You can have the opportunity to work part-time and have the flexibility of time that you didn’t have working for others. There are so many options available and you can embrace the changes of starting a new career in your fifties, it can be one of the most rewarding and exciting chapters of your life. It is never too late to start something new as you have valuable experience to offer the world. Embrace the changes even though it seems scary at first. Everything starts with imagination and with small steps you can make a new career in your fifties an exciting adventure.
“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”
Mark Twain