U-Turn Ahead

Considering a career change means spending time thinking about the future. What are the possibilities? Which career fits me best? How do I make the change? All this forward thinking can lead to forgetting the past, and those things vital to our success.

Well, there are a few things that we must remember during our midlife change:

Remember the ones you love. During this challenging time for you, don’t forget your family. There is a tendency for us to focus on our own needs and frustrations during midlife. It is all too easy to take family for granted or even ignore that part of our lives. So including the spouse, and even the children is important to how you cope with midlife. They need to know what is happening, so they can be a positive part of your change.

Keep in mind that your spouse may be trying to cope with some of the same feelings. So talk about it. Share your concerns and your desires. Talk to your spouse about how you are dealing with things. My own wife was the first person I talked to, and to my surprise, she was an amazing source of support. I expected to hear concerns about our security and worry about the future. Instead, she supported my desire to change my career and encouraged me to do what was necessary. So, don’t forget family. They are your fans, your support team, and your partners in this venture.

Remember the connections you’ve made. I am referring to all those folks you now know. They can be key to your career change success. Wesley from LifeTwo.com spoke about this in his post, “Book Tip: Never Eat Alone“. He gives a brief review of the book Never Eat Alone which promotes active networking as key to career success. Wesley states, “The fact is that the stronger one’s network of contacts are the easier it will be to transform careers as well as perform in your new field.”

Remember the skills you have. Finally, while looking for a new career, start with what you already know. Consider what you have learned in the first several decades of life and how those talents may lead to a new occupation.

Don’t just focus on your current job skills. What abilities do you have in other areas? What about your hobbies? Could your passion and knowledge of photography lead to a possible career? Sure it could. So take some time to explore the talents you have acquired through the years and research related career possibilities. Don’t consider an entirely new field of work until you have explored all of the interest and talents you already have.

So, have fun considering the future and all its possibilities, but don’t forget where you are. Remember family, friends, and the talents you have. You’ve invested years in these relationships and learning. Now you can use these resources in making your change. So, don’t forget what got you here…it could be just the thing to move you forward.

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