When Your Career Ends But Your Calling Begins: A Guide to Midlife Reinvention
Have you ever had one of those moments when you knew your life is about to change forever?
I mean the seismic soul-shaking kind of moment where the you think shifts and you shift with it?
I’m experiencing that right now in real time.
My life is as I know it is about to change, and I have two choices embrace the change and see what’s on the other side or stay exactly where I am.
Career Transition at Midlife: A Conversation That Changed Everything
I had lunch with a good friend a few days ago.
We met at a diner just to catch up after we both were let go from our latest employ.
We had great conversation about our next steps. The path we are now on. And how to navigate the workplace in midlife.
In our most recent work life, my colleague and I were tv producers, storytellers, creatives and as much as that became our identity, we both realized how that part of our identity is shifting.
We are both redefining ourselves and our skills in a career transition to fit the new industry landscape.
How do we get our square peg skills into this new round hole the industry and social media has created.
Why Change is Hard—And What It’s Trying to Teach You
As I reflected on that conversation during the train ride home, it hit me:
What we were really talking about was change.
Change is a fickle thing.
It can be empowering.
It champions growth.
It makes way for newness.
But…
It can also strip identity, create confusion, and instill fear.
In our case, or at least mine, it’s mash up of all of the above.
Here’s how it plays out in my head.
The industry that I gave a significant number of years to changed yet again.
I’ve weathered many of the previous changes.
But this one?
This one shifted the atmosphere.
Growth Comes at a Cost
This industry change led me to empowerment.
I had to learn new systems, understand technology, and new verbiage. That led to growth and some newly harnessed skills.
All good, right?
But then came the fallout.
The transformation of the industry, led to job cuts.
My colleague was let go months before was.
Then I got the call.
And just like that, a significant part of my identity stripped away.
I felt a deep identity shift—one I didn’t ask for.
Then came the confusion about.
How to be relevant in an industry that’s looking to TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to reach consumers.
Finally the fear:
What if my best career days are already behind me.
Choosing Freedom After a Career Disruption
If you’re in the workforce looking for where you’ll land next, you already know it’s rough out there.
In this current job market, I’ve made the decision.
I’m choosing to exit the system.
Become a free agent.
See what lies beyond the confines of the 40-hour work week.
For me, that’s a change.
A hard change.
Especially when the goal of the entire social construct you’ve been fed has been
“Get a job that has benefits. Stay as long as you can”.
And why wouldn’t you do that. A steady paycheck. Health insurance. Life insurance. Parental leave. Retirement fund.
I bought into the system.
But what I’ve come to realize is this:
The system no longer serves me because I’ve changed.
What I require now isn’t what I required as a young dad raising a family in the suburbs, juggling a mortgage, auto payments, and the wild ride of life.
So, as I said at the top, I’m in that “seismic soul shaking life change moment”.
And now I have to choose:
Do I Embrace the change, sight unseen?
Or do I stay put—safe, but stuck?
Why We Resist Change (Even When We Know It’s Time)
Most people who know me know that I like structure and routines.
It helps keep me regulated.
Change is the antithesis of structure. And while I embrace change it is not very comfortable. And this change that’s happening is a long reaching change.
One I’m now ready to embrace but did initially resist.
But that doesn’t make me unique.
Most of us, even when we know something needs to change, resists it. Not because we’re lazy or indecisive—but because our brain is wired for safety, not uncertainty.
In a Psychology Today article, psychologist Dr. Susan Biali Haas, says resistance to change is rooted in three key factors:
- Fear of Uncertainty
The brain prefers the known, even if it’s uncomfortable. Letting go of a familiar identity (like “TV producer”) can feel like freefall.
- Loss of Control
Change often reminds us how little we control, especially when it’s forced—like a layoff or industry disruption.
- Ego Protection
We resist admitting that the systems we relied on (careers, titles, roles) no longer define us.
This resistance is normal. It’s not weakness. It’s how your nervous system tries to protect you.
But when you recognize the resistance for what it is—a safety mechanism, not a stop sign—you can create space to move through it.
Dr. Haas says, “The moment you feel resistance is often the moment you’re standing at the edge of growth.”
And that’s exactly where I find myself:
Standing at the edge, aware of the fear, and still choosing to take the next step.
Because once you acknowledge the fear, you can begin to understand the shift.
That’s where faith comes in.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” —Hebrews 11:1
That scripture has always fascinated me.
Substance isn’t abstract. It’s tangible.
It’s not saying hope is wishful thinking—it’s saying your hope has weight. Value. Realness.
Your dream, your next chapter, your reinvention—it’s already taking up space in the unseen.
Faith brings it into focus.
And “the evidence of things not seen”?
Just because you don’t see the outcome doesn’t mean it’s not unfolding.
Your willingness to step forward—even in uncertainty—is the proof.
That’s the evidence.
Faith doesn’t eliminate uncertainty.
But it anchors you when everything around you is shifting.
It gives shape to what hasn’t yet taken form.
The Science Behind the Shift
That lunch wasn’t just a catch-up. It was a mirror. A moment of clarity.
According to organizational psychologist Richard Boyatzis, real, lasting change follows a pattern. In his book The Science of Change, Boyatzis calls it Intentional Change Theory—a five-phase process that mirrors exactly what I’m walking through.
It starts with a vision:
Who do you want to become when the title is stripped away? That’s what Boyatzis calls your Ideal Self.
Then comes the reckoning—your Real Self. That moment when you realize the system you trusted no longer fits who you are.
From there, change requires learning, experimenting, and most importantly—connection.
Boyatzis says we don’t change alone. We change in relationship.
That conversation at the diner? It was more than emotional support.
It was a resonant relationship—the kind that helps people grow.
So if you’re in your own seismic shift, take heart.
Science backs what your gut already knows:
You haven’t lost yourself—you’re finally starting to see who you really are.
Embracing the Shift: Four Steps Toward Intentional Change
That lunch at the diner wasn’t just a conversation—it was a checkpoint. A moment when I realized I couldn’t keep circling the same questions. I had to start answering them.
That’s what Intentional Change Theory invites us to do:
Not just survive change—but engage it.
Not just adapt—but redefine.
Here are four actions I’ve taken—and that you can take—to move from stuck to aligned when everything shifts:
Envision Your Future Self (Ideal Self)
Ask: Who do I want to become now—not who I was, or who others expect me to be?
For me, this started with getting honest about the life I want outside the 40-hour grind. I no longer need what I needed in my 30s. I need alignment. Autonomy. Purpose.
📍 Action: Journal or voice-record a vision of your ideal day one year from now. Where are you? What are you doing? Who are you becoming?
Get Real About Where You Are (Real Self)
Before growth comes truth. You can’t shift what you won’t name.
That layoff? It stripped away a title I had worn for years. It forced me to confront not just how the industry had changed—but how I had changed too.
📍 Action: Make a brutally honest inventory. What no longer fits? What beliefs, roles, or routines are outdated?
Create a Learning Agenda
The gap between where you are and where you want to be is filled with learning—not hustle.
I had to rewire. Learn new systems. New tools. New language. Not to stay relevant—but to stay true to what I’m building next.
📍 Action: Identify 1–2 skills, platforms, or mindsets you need to develop. Then commit to a weekly learning rhythm—however small.
Lean Into Resonant Relationships
Change doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s powered by connection.
That conversation over lunch? It grounded me. It reminded me I wasn’t the only one redefining what “success” looks like.
📍 Action: Reach out to someone who gets it. Share where you are. Let that connection fuel your next move.
Change doesn’t start with a five-year plan.
It starts with one brave choice at a time.
And if you’re at your own seismic crossroads, you don’t need to figure it all out today.
Just start with one step—and build from there.
Final Thought
Change is rarely convenient. It almost never feels safe.
But sometimes the breakdown is the doorway.
The title falls away. The system stops working.
And what’s left is the invitation to finally become you.
You don’t have to rush it. But you also don’t have to stay stuck.
Want a Guided Reset?
If you’re in the middle of your own shift—feeling stuck, uncertain, or ready for more—
the 6 Steps to a New You Mini Course was built for this moment.
It’s not just a course.
It’s a guided reset to help you:
✅ Get clear on what matters now
✅ Let go of what no longer fits
✅ Create a plan that aligns with who you’re becoming
It’s short, powerful, and designed to help you realign with purpose—at your pace.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you’re standing where I am—at the edge of what was, unsure of what’s next—
let’s walk through it together.
We’ll talk through where you are, what’s shifting, and how to move forward with clarity and purpose.
Live on Purpose. Lead with Clarity. Thrive by Design.
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