Why midlife isn’t a dead end, but an invitation to reroute and define success on your own terms
I don’t remember exactly when ithappened, but there came a time when I realized I was one of the oldest peoplein the meeting. Memes and GIFs were flying past my eyes on Microsoft Teams, a quarter of which went over my head. Ifelt like a dinosaur woefully aware of its fate. It was a depressing day, and yet, it wasn’t the first time I had been faced with the reality that I was now part of the“older generation” in the workplace. For years it felt far away. Now it was here. The end was looming.
For many women, midlife doesn’t crashin with a crisis. It arrives with a whisper—a quiet, but persistent nudge that something is off. It’s as if thec osmic rug has been pulled out from beneath you and the rules you’ve been following no longer apply. You think,“what the hell? This isn’t fair. I’ve spent my life mastering these rules. Now you’re telling me the game has changed?”
The game has indeed changed. But what if it’s changed for your benefit? What if this is exactly what is needed tofully step into who you are meant to be? It can be disorienting at first. After all, you’ve checked all the boxes—family, career, responsibilities—and yet you feel a strange hollowness or worse, like you’ve fallen behind. But what I’ve learned from my own experience is that you’re not falling behind and midlife is not a sign that time is running out. It’s a sign that a new time is beginning. And yes, I know that sounds cliché or even like wishful thinking. But I’m here to tell you, it’s not.
This is the time when women start asking deeper questions. Who am I now that I’m not constantly tending to everyone else’s needs? What do I actually want? Is it too late to change course? The answers don’t come all at once. They unfold slowly, like roots finding new ground. It’s incredibly powerful, but also scary.
There’s no perfect plan either. I have pivoted multiple times since age 45. I’m now 58 and I continue to take chances. Sometimes I flounder, sometimes I flourish. But there’s always growth. This is a time of learning to listen to yourself again, to sort through what’s no longer working and to stop minimizing your gifts because they don’t fit into a traditional mold. It’s time to start trusting that your lived experience isn’t a liability, but rather, where your true power lies.
You may be returning to the workforce after years away. Maybe you’re changing your career entirely. Or maybe you’re reimagining what leadership, contribution or purpose looks like at this stage of life. It all takes courage. It takes courage to imagine a different life. It takes courage toadmit you want something more or that you want something different.
Whether you’re seeking clarity,confidence, or simply a safe space to begin asking the right questions, know this:
You are not behind.
You haven’t missed your chance.
You don’t have to go it alone.
Midlife isn’t a dead end. It’s a re-route. Just think, the path ahead might just be the most aligned one yet.
You’re not behind. You’re just getting started. Book a call with Carol and start building what’s next.
