Once you knew where you were going in life. You were raising your family, building your career, and growing your relationships.
Some years flew by with milestones and celebrations. Others slowed to a snail’s pace as you overcame challenges. But always, you felt the momentum of moving forward.
Then you landed in the unfamiliar territory of midlife.
Your once overflowing schedule turned into long stretches of quiet.
After years of sharing every detail of raising kids together, you and your spouse now sometimes run out of things to say. Weeks go by without hearing from those kids. All this quiet means more time to rest, but sleep is elusive and is that another wrinkle that showed up overnight?
You’re having a hard time seeing what’s next, but you don’t want to stay stuck here.
How will you find the clarity you need to navigate midlife and create a second half-life you love?
Three powerful mindset shifts will quiet the confusion so you can chart your path forward.
Find the full transcript for this episode and more resources for navigating midlife at BloomingintheMiddle.com/1.
Jody Cates helps women in midlife dream into a new future, age with confidence, and grow satisfying relationships with their adult kids, parents, and partner. For step-by-step support, apply for Jody's Blooming in the Middle Personalized Program here, and she'll be in touch to invite you to a discovery call.
Or if your beliefs about midlife are holding you back from stepping into your next chapter, grab a Master Midlife Mindsets session with Jody here to turn negative thoughts into positive action.
Episode 1 – Gain Clarity in Midlife with 3 Powerful Mindset Shifts
Once you knew where you were going in life. You were raising your family, building your career, and growing your relationships.
Some years flew by with milestones and celebrations. Others slowed to a snail’s pace as you overcame challenges. But always, you felt the momentum of moving forward.
Then you landed in the unfamiliar territory of midlife.
Your once overflowing schedule turned into long stretches of quiet.
After years of sharing every detail of raising kids together, you and your spouse now sometimes run out of things to say. Weeks go by without hearing from those kids. All this quiet means more time to rest, but sleep is elusive and is that another wrinkle that showed up overnight?
You’re having a hard time seeing what’s next, but you don’t want to stay stuck here.
How will you find the clarity you need to navigate midlife and create a second half-life you love?
Three powerful mindset shifts will quiet the confusion so you can chart your path forward.
Find the full transcript for this episode at BloomingintheMiddle.com/1.
Midlife Confusion is Part of the Journey
My own journey through midlife turned my world upside down, so I have a real sense of what you’re going through.
After raising three incredible kids, midlife started for me with a divorce, and I became a single empty nester.
Then I had to leave a job I loved when my workplace turned toxic.
To top it all off, the bonus, my body started hurting all over. I thought the aches and pains were stress-related. But it turns out I was in menopause.
I felt like I didn’t know myself anymore.
It seemed like everything that defined me – my marriage, motherhood, career, my appearance and physical health -- had morphed into something I didn’t recognize. I was confused and overwhelmed.
Have you had moments lately when you feel like you don’t know yourself?
I learned first-hand the importance of slowing down and taking in the realities of my new life.
The reality is that midlife comes with a roller coaster of confusion and conflicting emotions.
You might feel nostalgia, sadness, and even grief over what’s passed or been lost. But these emotions are mixed with hope, expectation, and even a little thrill of excitement over what is still to come.
I became a coach to help women like you tap into that excitement and learn how to journey toward God’s next purpose and plan for you.
Maybe you’re somewhere in the middle of the confusion, and you’re wondering if what you’re feeling is normal.
It’s perfectly normal to feel a wild jumble of emotions when you reach midlife. You’re not going crazy, and you’re not alone. What a relief!
But…normal doesn’t mean comfortable.
Finding clarity in midlife begins with quieting the confusion. Only then will you be able to step boldly into your next chapter.
3 Strategies for Quieting Midlife Confusion
1. Accept that midlife means change.
It’s tempting to try to hold on to the familiar, but the tighter your grip gets, the more you’ll squeeze the life right out of new opportunities opening up for you. Not to mention the damage that happens in relationships when we refuse to change.
You need to learn how to navigate life and your relationships differently than you did before. But don’t worry. You’ve been adjusting to change all along – that’s how you’ve accomplished so much this far. So, you know you can do it. The trick is figuring out what adjustments to make.
The good news is you’re right where you belong. Listening and learning how to adjust to your new normal is what this podcast, Blooming in the Middle, is all about.
2. Manage your expectations as you navigate the middle.
Think about the things that you’ve been hoping and dreaming would be true by this time in your life. Make a list or create a vision board if that helps.
Then, recognize that much of what you envision won’t happen overnight.
There’s work to be done to build the relationships you want, find the purpose you long for, and learn how to keep your aging body healthy and strong.
Ask yourself what is reasonable to expect at this point in your journey. Then, commit to simply starting where you are.
3. Stay curious about what comes next.
Changes are a great indicator that an area of your life is opening up for growth. So, stay curious about what’s changing and what those changes might mean.
When you see change happening, ask yourself how you’re being invited to grow.
Are there new relationship skills you’d like to learn? New areas of interest you’d like to explore? Even a hobby you’ve put on hold can be an opportunity to start growing again.
Notice what lights you up. And know that those moments are clues God uses to light your path toward your next chapter.
God Brings Clarity to Midlife Confusion
Our God is not a God of confusion but brings peace and order to our lives. This is why I’m so confident that you can find clarity in the confusion of midlife and a path forward into what’s next.
God still has a purpose and a plan for you.
That didn’t end when you turned 40 or 50 or 60, and it won’t end. Because you matter to him, and what you do next matters to Him.
God wants you to discover the joy-filled second half you were created for.
Because He’s not finished with you yet.