Introduction: An excerpt from "Exploring the Midlife Career Crisis"

Periodically, I will be releasing exclusive excerpts from my book: Exploring the Midlife Career Crisis: Navigating the Four Stages of Career Transition

Today, I’m starting with the introduction to give you a glimpse into why I wrote the book, what it's about and some of the key themes covered.

INTRODUCTION

“You should set your dreams so big that everybody laughs at them.” - Jim Harbaugh

I was having the time of my life working in sports for one of the most respected companies in the world. Then, I lost my mojo, and I lost my job. What happened next cannot be fully explained, but in this book, I describe my transition in a way that might help others successfully navigate their own paths through midlife. All the more poignant, I’m publishing this book on my 50th birthday, September 24th, 2024.

The idea for the book hit me in December of 2022 as I was in my basement home gym, stretching and listening to the Chasing Life podcast with CNN’s venerable media-savvy medical correspondent and neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta. He was interviewing his brother Suneel, author and founder of a wellness company, on the topic of the “Midlife Crisis.” I’ve listened to dozens of hours of Sanjay talking about the relatable intricacies of our daily lives, but no episode impacted me as profoundly as this one. Why? As I said, relatability. Maybe it was the vulnerability expressed between brothers or just the timing amidst my own personal transformation. I don’t even know if transformation is the right word. It’s more of a “becoming.” Am I becoming my true self now more than ever? Is that even something worth exploring? My life is very different than it was a few years ago, and it’s time to talk about it.

I’ve structured the book so each section begins with my personal story and then illuminates the fascinating pivots made by several famous people, including Ken Jeong, Whoopi Goldberg, Abby Wambach, Mohandas Gandhi, and Pope Francis. (Have you ever seen those names in the same sentence??)

The book digs into the definition of “midlife” and what constitutes a “crisis.” It also outlines what I’ve deemed the Four Stages of Career Transition: Realize, Explore, Articulate, and Activate.

At the end of each chapter are actionable exercises you can use to navigate your own path. Although I hope reading about other people’s stories might be inspirational, the exercises are the real meat of the book and the fundamental goal I have for the book — to create impact at scale.

Change is indeed inevitable, and it can lead to a fulfilling life you never thought possible. I won’t lie — change can also require an elevated balance of persistence and patience. There is work to be done, but I believe some of the lessons in this book can help move you in a better direction.

My daily life is filled with one-on-one client conversations — career coaching sessions that truly warm my soul. I do my best every day to help people define and achieve their dreams. Sometimes this happens in small ways, and other times through structured progress, the formation of a realistic action plan, or a lightbulb moment that increases clarity in an unimaginable way. This is how it’s gone for almost two years: step-by-step, steady progress. And while I do believe in the butterfly effect creating ripples beyond the near term, I long for something greater. My hope is that this book empowers many more people to find their way through midlife and into the next stage of their journey.

Warm Regards,

Scott

Buy the book here and review it here.

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