157. Making a Mid-Life Career Shift

Secrets From a Coach - Debbie Green & Laura Thomson's Podcast

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In the final of our 4-part focus on stretching our comfort zone we focus on what it takes to make a complete career transformation. They say 'if you love what you do, then you'll never work a day in your life' (attributed to Mark Twain and Confucius), but for many, life's realities and responsibilities means staying stuck in jobs that do not make best use of our natural gifts and talents. With Gallup's 2023 poll findings that only 21% of people describe themselves as actively engaged in their job, it suggests many may be evaluating options and looking for a change.
We hear from Damien Hoadley-Brown who took the decision to move from a corporate project management role in a global PLC to teach his passion for Tai Chi as his fulltime occupation. Achieving national champion status as a hobby, he took the leap of faith into self-employment 6 years ago, now teaching hundreds of people in his business The Art of Changes Tai Chi. He shares practical advice for those considering to make a major shift in their working lives and reflects on how setbacks and failures are often the moment when something good comes along.
As people live and work for longer, many will be working for anything up to 50+ years - even if work is not a central pillar in your life, that's a long time not feeling happy or fulfilled in what you do for a living. We reference two books: The Second Mountain by David Brooks (the mid-life shift from self-centred to other-centred) and The 100 Year Life by Linda Gratton and Andrew Scott (seeing work as a series of phases that shift and evolve through the decades).
Damien can be contacted via website or Facebook or via email [e-mail]
Fancy a deeper dive? Check out our relevant episodes:
Ep. 143 Supercharge Your Self-Belief - Knowing What You Want
Ep. 133 Book Club - 4000 Weeks - A Wake-Up Call for Time Management
Ep. 103 Redefining What Success Means For You Now
Ep. 8 Wake Up & Smell The Silicon - Recreating a Disrupted Career