Many people who seek professional coaching complain about losing their passion mid-career. Some would like to switch careers, but they remain cautious in these uncertain times.
Most coaches, including myself, will advise you to look inward before making a drastic decision. Perhaps the problem isn’t the job or supervisor, but within you. If so, you can change your thinking, beliefs or level of engagement as you strive to make work more meaningful.
Middle age is accompanied by a heightened awareness of one’s sense of meaning. Psychologist Erik Erikson described this stage of life as one seeking productivity and generativity.
You’ve probably seen this in your own life: You want to help others, provide reliable goods or services, make an impact on your community, and provide a comfortable existence for your family. You want to feel that your job is worthwhile.
This is a good time to review your values and purpose with your coach or mentor:
- What was initially attractive about your job?
- When you began your career, what did you expect or hope for?
- In the early days, how did work excite you?
- What has changed?
People are often surprised by their answers, having forgotten their early enthusiasm.
To rekindle your drive, explore three key personal-development components with your coach or trusted advisor:
- Identify your core values.
- Know and manage yourself well.
- Determine how your values fit with who you are today.
This may be a good opportunity to take some assessments with your coach or advisor. Few people know their strengths well. Two popular assessments are the Strengths Finder and the The Leadership Circle Profile (you can take learn more by clicking on the link). Another is the Emotional Quotient Inventory. In any case, I find the wisest people are those that use their feelings of malaise to find out what drives them, what their strengths are, and use coaching to rekindle their spirits.
Interested in finding how to use these assessments? Contact me.
Diana Gabriel, PPC
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