Is It Time to Reinvent Yourself? What to Do if You Think You’re Losing Your Passion.

Cynthia Corsetti, Certified Executive, Career & Life CoachLast week I was sitting in a lunch meeting with a client. I’ll call her Keri. Keri and I were having a great conversation, as we usually do. She’s a vibrant executive, poised and confident. But this time she brought something up that actually surprised me.And the reason it surprised me was that Keri is so successful and well-regarded in her industry. She has an impeccable resume, the type most people would strive to compile.But as Keri looked over at a table of men and women who seemed to be passionate and engaged in their professional discussion she felt, well, jealous.Jealous? Here she was, a woman who from the outside appears to have it all: a great job, a successful life, a partner who supports her in every way. Yet she longed for something more.As a coach, naturally I couldn’t just let that go. I immediately started digging. What was it that that group of people seemed to have that she didn’t have? And was her interest in those people about something bigger?Keri paused for a second and then answered my questions with one simple word. Energy.Energy. The group of women that were lunching a few tables away seemed to have an exceptionally high level of energy. As we watched them interact, it was clear that they were discussing work and specific projects, but as Keri clearly noticed, they were doing it with gusto. They were animated and smiling and every aspect of their body language said that they loved what they were doing.It was at that point that I looked Keri in the eye and I posed this crucial question: “When did you lose that excitement about your career?”Keri reflected. After a minute, she told me that she couldn’t even answer the question. All she knew is that it happened sometime in the past few years. It was gradual at first, but now she really felt it. While Keri was grateful for her success, she recognized that THIS was not what she wanted to do. She lost her passion and no longer felt that this was the life she wanted. That was a breakthrough moment.Keri’s situation is not unique. Many people have spent their lives working toward particular career goals and once they finally achieve them, they realize that they have changed. They are no longer the same person as they were when they first set the goals, or chose the career.Many professionals share Keri’s feeling of discontent; but at this stage of the game, what is one to do? How do you reinvent yourself, and is that even possible?The answer is YesIn fact, many people have made huge life and career changes well over the age of 40. Consider these people you probably recognize:•Colonel Harland David Sanders opened his first Kentucky Fried Chicken location in Utah in 1952. He was 62 years old. In 1964, he sold his interest in the company for $2 million (nearly $16 million today).•In 1984, Louise Lynn Hay launched Hay House Publishing. She was 58 years old. Louise died in 2017 at the age of 88 leaving a legacy of inspirational self-help books and that will touch lives for years to come.Where to startFinding passion sounds perfect, but knowing where to start can be daunting. Fortunately, there are some concrete steps you can take to get you moving in the right direction.1. Reflect on your past self. Try to reflect on who you were when you were at 18 years old. Get your high school yearbook out if it will help. Remember that person? That energy? What were your dreams?2. Question your present self. As you recall those 18-year-old dreams, and reflect back on them now as an adult, do any of them still resonate with you? If they do, ask yourself why, and what is that telling you?3. Try it on. Just like clothing, when you are thinking of embarking on a new career ty it on first. Have some fun on the career sites. Do job searches that have nothing to do with your current industry, but instead reflect your current interest. Even if you have no experience in a particular field, search it. See what comes up and see what energizes you.4. Take it for a test drive. If you think you want to own a Starbucks franchise, ask if you can shadow a manager for a weekend. If running some non-profit sounds appealing get involved with one as a volunteer. Ask the staff to give you the grunt work, show you what is really involved, not just the fluff. If you can’t have an actual hands-on experiment, try interviewing several people in the field that interests you. Ask them what they like, what they don’t like, and what keeps them motivated.5. Start an options journal. As you go through your daily routine over the next few weeks, make notes on things that seem to call out to you. If you go to the gym and the spinning instructor seems to have the best job in the world in your eyes at that moment, write it down and then later on when you are at home make a journal entry about it. Imagine your life in that role and write about what that would be like.These few steps are the launch to your new future. As you complete them and reflect upon them you will begin to see patterns, and choices, and dreams become clear.Finding a passion later in life isn’t simple, but it is certainly doable. And definitely rewarding.Should I Reinvent Myself?5 Questions to ask yourself to see if it’s time for a changeIf you are trying to discover if NOW is the time for you to reinvent YOU, ask yourself these questions:1. Have I lost my passion for what I do? 2. Is that loss of passion affecting other areas of my life? 3. Do I feel a strong “pull” to be doing more, making a difference, or having more of an impact on the world? 4. Do I feel excited when I think of myself working in another career? 5. Am I willing to make some sacrifices in order to make the new career a reality?If you answered yes to more than three of the questions above, then the answer just might be a complete reinvention. [author]About the Author: Cynthia Corsetti is a certified executive, career, and life coach who is focused on helping people reach their highest potential. Whether it is achieving better performance and fulfillment it a current career or a total transition and personal reinvention, Cynthia is the one to get you there. Visit her website for more information.[/author]