- Woody Dunkin
- Chicago, IL
- United States
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How did you find you life's work and passion after age 40? Is it possible?
I'm trying to find my passion in a career. I took the path most traveled and I found myself lost, unfulfilled after 25 years of working for a paycheck. I never discovered what I truly enjoyed and ended up here. No more excuses, only left to take action :)
Brad Norton
What is your overall mission that you want to achieve during your life? Ariel is on the path of finding a passion. I also recommend focusing on projects or work you are passionate about. You have skills and talents you developed over 25 years of working. I recommend taking a personal inventory on what you know and how it could help you achieve your goals. You have work to do on this - write out what your personal mission is. It could be simple, or very complex. This is your mission. Once you have a mission statement, how are you going to achieve it? Your goals come from stating your mission, and then fill it in with "I will do this by doing xxxx" or "I will accomplish this by supporting xxxx"
I hope this helps.
Brad Norton
http://www.nortoncreative.com/rubberchicken/
Ariel Palitz
Woody Dunkin
Gaurav Gupta 500+
This insight is special. Perhaps, a summary of what drives entrepreneurs. Perhaps what also makes them serial entrepreneurs. Thank you.
John Paul Sanborn
William Notation
At 40, I left a solid career in network management and database administration to return to school to become a teacher. I had always considered teaching but always ignored that "little voice" inside my head. So, I finally listened and am now a Technology Education teacher. (Some time ago this was industrial arts or "shop.") After changing careers, I found myself wishing that I had gone into teaching first. After a great deal of being "down" on myself about lost opportunities, I realized that I am a far better teacher now than I would have been earlier. All my experiences have made me who I am now and given me the perspectives and dispositions that I find so helpful in the classroom and shop.
So, my advice is simple. Don't fret about being lost. Try something new. If its doesn't work out, try something else. You may be surprised to discover that your past "unfulfilling" work ends up being an asset in your new professional life.
James Gronau
Srini Srinivasan 50+
I am in mid fifties and have always looked to doing things differently when the chips are down. After starting as a Salesman selling computers, I moved to managing high-tech product development about which I had very little knowledge or experience. I went back to local community colleges and grabbed what I could in a few terms and got "re-charged" and ready for the job. After 3 start-ups that had very moderate successes, all in telecom, I moved out to heading a Creative Design company about 3 years ago. This was totally a turnaround from 20+ years of high tech industry experience and personal expertise. But once I got into the design industry, I must say I started "enjoying" every day at work more than my previous jobs, largely due to the uncertainty and creative nature of the job.
As a design consultancy, each client comes from different product and technology domain, the challenges and learning are never ending for me. And as a leader of a very creative group of 100 members, I am able to keep my grey cells busy all through the day, which otherwise would have been getting duller by the day.
Hope you find inspiration from all the comments your question has brought and make you "re-vitalized". I believe you have still a looong time to go!! Wishing you the very best.
Gaurav Gupta 500+
There is also the 10,000 hours outliers story. Many people profess by experiencing a change in themselves just after they spent 10 years doing something. That they feel "it has become part of their being". Its obviously hard to explain and feelings are easier than reason.
There is another popular belief, corporate executives very easily dismiss themselves as "Not the Creative Type". I did that at one of the TED Conferences and the friends I made there went after me,made me retract my statement and the result was - I went back to them next month with a list of creative things I had done ... from poetry, to designing my own shirts :) - I found my creative block was just a meme.
Look forward to what you think about the above - - one contradiction and one support of your story. Thank you once again for sharing your inspirational experience.
Srini Srinivasan 50+
Thanks for sharing your comments. I think, one of the motivators for people who got some experience in hard start ups is "what else can go wrong"? This deja vu experience makes them to not fear the unknown and hence they tend to take the uncertainties in a more casual, but confident way.
As far as your experience of doing a bunch of creative things, yes, I know people who have exactly done these things because of being challenged. It does take a lot of initiatives to do this, even if under challenge.. good to know you did those things to prove to yourself first and then to others.
cheers
Fritzie Reisner 100+
I have several pieces of advice that echo what others here have said. One is to look at what you are doing, identify the most interesting parts, and enlarge those in your mind to get more satisfaction about what you are doing. Second, take a few courses, volunteer, and/or start in on a hobby that appeals to you. Do this "on the side" of your current work. In this way you increase the breadth of your experiences.
Finally, just as it chokes off a person's ability to make decisions if he enters with a mindset that there is always one decision that is "best" and he needs to pick that one, I think it is stifling to assume that there is one passion out there with your name on it. There are probably several that might inspire you over a period of years, and, as you are only in your forties, you still have time for at least a couple!
Mitch SMith 50+
For me, necessity was the mother of invention.
A bad project went seriously over budget and I was asked to resign.
I just did nothing for a couple of months and then, after just letting it all go I stopped sending out resumes and allowed myself to enjoy being home with my family.
Then my wife decided she was going to learn to play violin.
I thought I would support her by learning a companion instrument so we could play together.
I chose to learn the pennywhistle - I thought that would be easy for an old guy like me, After all, I had mastered guitar and a few other instruments as as young man.
But then it started getting interesting, I could not find a pennywhistle in any of the major or minor music shops .. it was like they'd dissapeared from the culture.
So I resolved to do something about that.
I took my savings as capital investment, started a company and went about lifting the profile of the instrument in my culture through an online pennywhistle store. Moved out of the city to lower the costs and just leaned into it as hard as I could.
All my corporate buddies were telling me I was crazy. And, yes, it was difficult. The funding was slowly sinking into the sunset, but I persevered.
Along the way, I made a design for a pennywhistle and started to do my due dilligence for getting it made.
By some crazy chance, I was introduced to one of the best woodwind makers in the world. He recognised my passion and helped me develop the design, plan the tooling, gain the skills and soon we had a working prototype that was worth introducing to the market.
Since then, the retail side of the business has made way for manufacturing and the bottom line has stabilised with my order book full for the next 12 months.
I can't say I've arrived at anything, because it keeps leading me through new things.
In retrospect, I can say that I traded a position for a path.
You cannot truly define your passion - you can only recognise it and commit to follow it wherever it leads
Debra Smith 200+
Gaurav Gupta 500+
But believe me you, it helps a lot of people make sense of their lives. Your story is a learning worth a book for me. Thank you!!
Mitch SMith 50+
Thank you for your kind words!
I didn't have space to add, that:
Passion is in our love for others. If it does not extend to others it is not a true passion.
In my passion to add my value to culture, I found that culture - and that culture accepted me as a member with open arms.
It was like landing on a new and wonderful planet that I did not know existed.
If you can do it - it won't be easy, often not comfortable, but well worth it!
Brad Norton
Woody Dunkin
Barry Holtslander
Be well on the journey.
Max Lemberger
Analia Daporta
Michael Moore 500+
Jeanette Gary
Jeff Cable
Rather than working for a pay check, I think it would be useful to envision what you want to work at... your ideal job, and then set about making moves towards working in that field. Work that engenders your passion is never work, it is a joy to undertake. My wealth is not in financial terms but in the work I do and have spent 30 years honing to a degree where I just feel that I am starting to really understand the work which I do for a living.
I don't have to ask myself at the end of each working day whether my work is of any value to society... I know that it is and that fact helps me to sleep happily and soundly. I am currently finding new challenges to engage me during my free time.
Family is, of course, important but doing new things helps to keep my mind active too. Recent challenges which I have set for myself have included learning to play the piano, taking up archery, learning to drive a powerboat, woodworking, learning to fly a glider, understanding Unix and above all; staying interested in the world around me.
Find what you love to do and then do what you love. Salaries are secondary. Jobs for life are no longer a reasonable expectation. Ask yourself what would you do if you lost your work tomorrow. If you are honest with yourself and treat the question seriously, the answers may well surprise you and give you the courage, the flexibility and the impetus to change that which leaves you unfulfilled.
25 years working at an unfulfilling task is not a total disaster and... it is eminently fixable. You have nothing to lose but your chains. May I suggest that you read Walden? by Henry David Thoreau. He said "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation"
Christopher Mimnagh
Sometimes you need a ghost writer for the story, - find a coach, they can ghost read the story with you.
Perhaps a coach isn't a possibility, so why not coach yourself- a lot of different ways to do it.
Looking at the "business" of your life you might find "Business Model You" to be a good approach, but very specific in it's way.
In any case, if you're enjoying the tale, why worry about how it ends?
flexman feng
Samuel Bankester
Joseph Gendroni
Ed Schulte 50+
remembering
that it is not "what" but "how" one DOES...that re-awakes one to....
what that which you called.... "life work" ......... is really about
Rhona Pavis 50+
Sean Yam
I took one hour from home to my office everyday and start work on 9:00 to 17:30, I usually have overtime work until 20:00. But I enjoy reading a book, listening music during the way to office/home. Sometimes, its hard to understand all talks in English for me, watching/listening TED talk on the phone. These are very small things but I enjoy it.
mary rondoni
Viet Dung Pham 20+
Colleen Steen 500+
"We do not stop playing because we grow old
We grow old because we stop playing".
What I focus on at any given time throughout the life cycle has changed. Passion lives in my heart always...all ways:>)
Colleen Steen 500+
There are some great suggestions and ideas already on this thread, and a very insightful comment by you!
Woody Dunkin
2 days ago: "Your characterization is very accurate! It is difficult to become someone I never allowed myself to be AND what that is exactly I'm trying to figure out. Thank you"
You also state, in your introduction, that you were "unfulfilled after 25 years of working for a paycheck".
If your intent was only working for a paycheck, you got EXACTLY what you were working for huh? As you were doing the job, did you try to recognize any joy, enthusiasm or passion in yourself? Did you bring passion to your work?
To me, passion is not something "out there" to be found, nor does passion have anything to do with age. It is inside all of us and may need to be recognized. Perhaps you have not allowed yourself to recognize your own passion? I am passionate about living life to the fullest, so everything I do is with passion (fervor, ardor, enthusiasm, zeal).
For me, most life experiences contribute to a flow of energy. When we are enthusiastic and joyfull about something, the enthusiastic energy flows back to us, fueling the passion. It is a choice we can make in each and every moment.
Follow your heart...what makes your heart sing? What are you joyful about? Try lots of different things with enthusiasm, and look "inside" yourself for passion:>)
I remember seeing this when I was a teenager and I embraced the concept.
"Interested = interesting"
"Interesting = interested"
We can usually recognize SOMETHING about any experience that is interesting/passionate if we open the heart and mind to the possibilities:>)
There are several other talks about passion on TED...did you check them out?
Chetan Somani
Loved the concept that you have embraced "Interesting=Interested and Interested=Interesting".
Now,i can make out 'When you find something interesting,it shows u are interested in pursuing it".
'When you are interested in something/someone,it shows u can do it with full of passion and interest'.
Thanks Colleen for making me realize it!!
Colleen Steen 500+
I notice that when one is genuinely interested, enthusiastic, and passionate, it is contagious to people who cross our paths...IF, they are open to it:>) It works like the ripple effect....we put out the energy of interest/passion, it opens up a lot more opportunities for us, and it certainly is much more enjoyable than the alternative:>)
Mwenjew Wewngwa
colleen,
This reminds me - the amount of flow of this energy depends on our ability to say yes to it.
YES YES YES !
;-0
I'm 60+ and I'm still not sure what I'll be when I grow up...LOL:>)
quite admirable !
Colleen Steen 500+
Yes...I agree...the amount of flow of energy depends on our ability to say yes to it.
It depends on how open the heart and mind are to possibilities.
YES YES YES!
:>)
george lockwood 20+
pat gilbert 50+
Mark Garcia
Once you make a list, try joining some meetup.com groups, or discussion groups or volunteering or study up on it. If you find that in spite of what you tell yourself, you're just not making time to do it, then that's a clue that you might not be as passionate as you think. Clues about your passion can be found in subjects you like to hear about, what you like to do, talk about or listen to in your free time. The process is often a lot harder than it seems. And don't worry if you'll have to spend some time and will be older when you've gotten up to speed. You'll still grow older even if you don't get up to speed. I know, I'm still plugging away at it at 56, and I"m just getting started. ;-)
Good luck!