7.12 Planning for a Meaningful Second Career
Redefining Success in Midlife For many, midlife is not the closing chapter of their professional life—it’s the beginning of a more meaningful one. This is a stage where success is no longer measured just by salary, but by satisfaction, impact, and personal fulfillment. Individuals in their 40s, 50s, or even 60s are increasingly revisiting what “career” means to them. Take Sharmila, a former corporate executive, who stepped away from her hectic job to start a life-coaching practice. She says, “In my second career, I finally feel heard, not just busy.” Midlife is an invitation to realign your career with your values. Recognizing the Call for Change Often, the desire for a second career doesn’t come from boredom—it comes from a sense of incompleteness. A bank manager who always dreamed of teaching, a pharmacist who once loved writing, or a homemaker passionate about entrepreneurship—these buried interests begin to surface. Ravi, a mechanical engineer for 25 years, realized during ...