Work worries in your 40s might be a sign calling out to your future self

I am Tomoaki Suga, and for 22 years I have been immersed in marketing with the motto, "Come on, who shall I make happy with all my might today?" On note, I share the ways of thinking I have gained through real-life experience.

I feel that my peers who have entered their 40s have started to pause more often in unexpected moments.

"Is it okay to keep going like this?"
"I feel like I have left something undone."
"I cannot change the past. But, from now on...?"

You can no longer just push forward on momentum alone like you did when you were young. Yet, it is too early to settle down completely.

Isn't the 40s the age where you find yourself standing in that very gap?

I am still as absorbed in my work as I was when I went independent at 22, and although I have more days where I feel under the weather, the sense of excitement that "this is fun" keeps my days bright.

＊

It is actually natural for "fluctuations" to arrive

The hesitation and anxiety you are feeling right now are by no means yours alone.

The period after 40 is also a time when a psychological shift called a "midlife crisis" is likely to occur.

This term might have a negative impression, but it is actually a "shake-up to move to the next stage."

It means the time has come to re-examine what you have built up so far and have a deep dialogue with yourself about "what you really want to do and how you want to live from here on out."

In other words, it is an important timing to stop once in the middle of your life and redesign it.

＊

It is precisely because you have a track record that it becomes harder to have confidence

It is a strange story, but as people reach their 40s, more of them start to doubt their own abilities.

In your 20s and 30s, you could tell yourself, "I don't have much experience yet," but in your 40s, you start to think, "I have experience now, so why isn't it going well?" or "Maybe this is all I am."

This is because the gap between your ideals and reality is too visible.

However, I believe that being able to notice that gap is actually proof of growth. People who have truly done nothing do not even feel a gap in the first place.

Therefore, having your confidence shaken is not a bad thing. Rather, it is the perfect sign to start taking stock of yourself.

*

There is a 'reconstruction' that can only be done in your 40s

The experience you have gained over the last 10 to 20 years, the people you have interacted with, and the trust you have built up. These are 'assets' that cannot be acquired overnight. From here on, it is the phase of 'how to utilize' them.

For example...

• Apart from your main job, start a small side business or activity

• Resume learning that you were interested in, and gain new stimulation

• Contact old colleagues and launch a small project

None of these may be flashy. But these steps will change the next 10 years.

In your 40s, rather than being impatient about 'having to become someone,' realizing 'who you want to be' is much more important.

*

In your 40s, you are not just an extension of your past

From here on, you can live more freely and more flexibly.

Even if your environment does not change, just by changing your perspective, the world will look completely different. And that change in perspective is something you can only have because you are in your 40s.

Choose to 're-utilize' rather than 'start over'.

There is no need to reset your life so far. Rather, the strength of your 40s is being able to utilize everything and move on to the next step.

The next 10 years are your time for 'reconstruction'.

You don't have to rush. But you don't have to stop either. Let's move forward at your own pace, with your own choices!

Thank you for reading until the end today as well.

If you would like, why not connect with me? I look forward to your follow. I would also like to actively connect with you.