 Client Question: “I would like to move to a new career that is more fulfilling, but I feel like I am too old to start something new. Should I try this or stay where I am?”
First of all, you are never too old to try something new. Especially if you have a lot of passion for something new in your life that would fulfill you. There are some terms like “encore or extended” being used to describe the second career option now. Even though this is being discussed more often, people are still living with the preconceived notions that there is a certain age that you “should” retire. Many famous people and companies did not start until after the leaders were over 50 years old. What if you changed the way that you thought about the second half of your life?
If you could get up every day and do something that you loved, how would you feel? Wouldn’t you be happier focusing on this new direction instead? Try to focus on all the positive things that could come from doing this. What could you learn? What are some of the first steps you could take to move forward towards this goal? Just doing some simple things like researching more about it will tell you if you are heading down the right path because you are getting more excited about it!
If you are a realist, there are a couple of things you may also want to think about. Where are you at financially and what do you need to have in place in order to make this change happen? What are the other things that could cause you to get derailed and how can you plan for them? Thinking about these things in advance minimizes the worry that you may have about them because you are ready to handle these issues if they show up.
The key is to start looking into this new path and don’t hold yourself back. How can you learn more about it and what will tell you if it is a good fit for you? Preparing for this step is very important. Once you have your choice, you can even start it on the side to minimize the financial risk until you feel comfortable to make it your full time role. If you run into obstacles or get stuck, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Remember the goal is this new career that is going to fulfil you. If this is really what you want, then you just need to keep moving forward no matter what. Here is an article that shares some insights into a second option if you would like to read more about it.
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