The Importance of Finding Purpose In Midlife

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The most common complaint that I hear from midlife women is that they have lost their sense of purpose in life. This typically comes about when they are left with an empty nest, but there are other reasons you, as a midlife woman, may feel this way.

Lacking purpose and meaning can come about from career boredom, midlife divorce and after the loss of a job. Have you been faced with any of these?

When you lack purpose and meaning in midlife it can cause feelings of emptiness, sadness, low self-esteem, boredom, low energy, general malaise and low to no motivation. Whatever the reason is for you, finding purpose in midlife is of utmost importance.

Why Finding Purpose In Midlife Is So Important.

1. It Gives Your Life Meaning

This may seem obvious, but living your life with purpose gives your life meaning. Having meaning makes it easier to lift your head off the pillow in the morning and jump out of bed. In other words, you will be more motivated when your life has purpose and meaning. You will also feel a renewed level of energy, something that many midlife women feel they have lost. Of course, it is normal to have lower energy levels in midlife and there can be multiple reasons for that. Having purpose and meaning in your life can definitely help however.

2. It Increases Your Self-Worth

We all want to feel good about ourselves, right? And when you are living your life with purpose and meaning it increases your self-worth. Just knowing that you are contributing to something that is greater than yourself will allow you to feel good about yourself. It’s a win-win, because you benefit and those that you are contributing to and impacting feel good also. This is one of the BIGGEST benefits of finding purpose in midlife. You will be helping to make the world a better place.

Woohoo!

3. It Leads To Fulfillment and Happiness

Happiness seems to be the ultimate life long goal for everybody, but unfortunately it seems to elude many. The sad part about that is that happiness is actually a choice that we are all able to make in any given moment. (More on that in another blog post, so stay tuned.)

Living a purposeful life will lead to greater fulfillment and in turn happiness. Yes, it really is that simple! When you increase your self-worth you will feel more confident and that will in turn increase your happiness also.

4. It’s Good For Your Mental and Physical Health

The benefit to your mental and physical health is like the cherry on top when you find your midlife purpose. Your self-worth increases and how you feel about yourself impacts both your mental and physical health.

Think happy dance!

When you are living with purpose, the feel good hormones (endorphins) are released into your blood stream and lift your mood making you feel even happier. It’s like an infinite loop that keeps feeding itself. In addition, you will sleep better, have more patience and have a more positive outlook on life.

The physical benefits of finding your midlife purpose are immeasurable. You can decrease your risk of stroke, heart disease and depression. Given that the risk for all of these diseases tends to increase in midlife women, the physical benefits alone should motivate you to want to have purpose in midlife.

What Are You Waiting For?

The importance of finding your midlife purpose is beyond measure. The question for so many however, is how do you do that. That’s why I’m in the process of creating my newest course Finding Purpose & Meaning In Midlife.

I’m very excited about this new course because I know that it will help me to fulfill my purpose in midlife of helping other midlife women make midlife their best life. Finding Purpose & Meaning In Midlife will be available very soon, but you don’t have to wait!

You can get started today by scheduling your complimentary Midlife Momentum Session with me. During this 30-minute call I will help you explore how you can regain a sense of purpose and meaning in midlife starting immediately.

Just click on the link below and you will be on your way to finding purpose in midlife AND having all of the amazing benefits that I shared above.

Remember, midlife can be your best life, but you have to be willing to take the first step to getting there. That’s what the Midlife Momentum Session is all about…taking the first step.

But don’t delay! These spots fill up and I’d hate for you to miss out.

I can’t wait to speak with you!

Schedule Your Midlife Momentum Session Now

With love,

Julie

Why Midlife Women Are My Tribe

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There is this memory that is so vivid in my mind. It’s from when I was a teenager and it has never gone away. I don’t remember what age I was exactly, but probably between thirteen and fifteen years old. It goes like this.

I am standing in the family room of our modest home on three-acres in Napa, CA. When out of nowhere this thought comes to me. It’s almost like a voice, and it says,

“You can do anything you put your mind to.”

Now you have to understand, this voice could not have come from any of my family members. You see, my parents although well meaning, were more apt to tell me NOT to get my hopes up about ANYTHING.

They loved me of course and wanted the best for me, but they never encouraged me to be anything more than average.

I remember when I made the decision to go to college after working for two years out of high school. My mother’s words of advice were simply,

“College is about learning the ropes and just getting by. You just need to get C’s.”

WHAT?

Whose parent’s give that advice to their children as they are headed off to college? Don’t most parents want their children to excel?

Lacking Self Confidence

It wasn’t clear to me at the time, that it was my mother’s self-doubts about herself that she was projecting onto me. Not intentionally of course, but only because she didn’t know how to do it any other way. You see, my mother was parenting me in the same way that she was likely parented.

What I also didn’t realize until many years later, is that my mother was trying to protect me. Yes, my mother did not want me to be the victim of my own disappointment when MY dreams didn’t came true.

She knew that life unfortunately, does not always provide a happily ever after ending like Walt Disney would like us to believe.

We Are What We Believe

So, I did what any good girl would do and I took my mother’s advice. I went off to college, just barely “learned the ropes” and “just got by” earning lots of C’s and the occasionally D. Yes, there were classes that I had to repeat in my major in order to graduate.

What I also didn’t realize at the time was that I had been living by this advice for my whole life!

I was just getting by in Junior High AND High School, because that is the standard that my mother unknowingly had set for me.

What we learn at an early age is embedded in our subconscious belief system, branded there unbeknownst to us. And it’s those beliefs that shape us and determine how we interact with the world around us.

When I was in the sixth grade, I had an experience that involved my mother that I have never forgotten. While I will save that story for another time, it embedded a belief in me that said, “Play small and do not stand out.”

The Truth of Possibilities

For years, that voice that came to me when I was a teenager laid dormant beneath the beliefs that had been handed down to me by my family. And that voice did not resurface until many years later when I was in my forties.

What woke me up to the truth of what was actually possible for me was not one specific event, but a culmination of experiences that I chose for myself.

Thank God for the power to CHOOSE, right?!

And, thank you God for waking me to up the truth of what is possible for all of us.

My BIG Why

If you have ever read the book by Simon Sinek, Start With Why, you know that it’s our BIG WHY that motivates us to do what we do in life.

And when you have a goal or dream, it’s your BIG WHY that motivates you to go after and realize that dream.

The false belief that I carried with me for most of my life, the belief that I should only strive to “just get by” is my BIG WHY.

The belief that I was merely average, not special, has propelled me to want to help others who have that same belief.

We Are ALL Special

What I have learned since I woke up to what is actually possible is that we are ALL special. That’s right!

You came into this world with special God-given gifts and talents and it is your responsibility to discover, uncover and share them with the world.

Why Midlife Women?

When you are a person who’s purpose in life is to help and heal others, you can choose to work with anyone, but you are typically drawn to work with a select few.

Over the course of my coaching career I have chosen to work with different subsets of the population. But, as my own journey reached midlife, I chose midlife women as my tribe.

Why?

Because I know that there are too many midlife women who still struggle to THRIVE as opposed to just get by.

I know that there are countless midlife women who have UNREALIZED DREAMS and that makes me sad.

Because midlife may be your last chance.

It may be your last chance to make your dreams come true. It may be your last chance to have the fairytale happy ending that Walt Disney wanted for all of us.

Your last chance to do all of the things that you always wanted to do, but never had the TIME or the CONFIDENCE to do.

It could just possibly be your last chance to say YES, I did it!

THAT’S why midlife women, aka YOU are my tribe.

Because I want to be there when your dreams come true. I want to cheer you on when you cross the finish line celebrating YOU.

Dreams Do Come True

I have come to realize that perhaps Walt Disney was right. Dreams really do come true, if you BELIEVE, have a BIG WHY and take ACTION.

So let me ask you.

“What dreams do you have that you have yet to realize?”

“What is that ONE THING that you have always wanted to do. That one thing that you have put on the back burner, because you didn’t have the confidence or the time you needed to make it happen?”

This is not the time for you to play small and be cautious.

Midlife is the time to throw caution to the wind and…

MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!

My Gift To You

I have chosen YOU, as a women in your 40’s, 50’s and beyond, and I’m passionate about helping you regain a sense of PURPOSE and have the COURAGE to go after the dreams that you’ve put off up until now.

And, that’s why I created my FREE midlife guide, 3 MUST DO’s To Love Your Midlife Years. You can grab your copy now, by following the steps below.

When you want to make a change or reach a goal, you have to take the FIRST STEP. That is what I’m inviting you to do now. Take the first step towards making midlife your best life full of purpose, confidence and fun.

You have nothing to lose and EVERYTHING to gain.

If you are a midlife woman you are my tribe.

I choose YOU and now it is time for YOU to choose YOU! Go for your dreams starting today.

With love, Julie

Are You Stretching Yourself In Midlife?

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Are You Stretching Yourself In Midlife

I had to laugh to myself when I began to write this. Sometimes I feel as though the only thing that’s stretching in midlife is my waistline, and the elastic waist pants that I wear to accommodate it.

Can you relate?

But in all seriousness, what came to mind when you read this title?

Did you assume that I was asking if you’ve been doing yoga or some other form of exercise?

While you want to be stretching your body in midlife, what I’m referring to here is…

Are you stretching yourself outside of your comfort zone?

Midlife poses plenty of opportunities for feeling uncomfortable, but it’s important to be intentional about stretching yourself.

“The magic happens outside of your comfort zone.”

You may have heard this before, but in midlife this is an important concept to embrace.

In order to make midlife your best life, you have to learn to be comfortable with the changes that you are experiencing. These changes stretch you out of your comfort zone and are a normal aspect of your midlife years.

Embrace The Changes

What if instead of resisting change you embraced it? In other words, what if instead of feeling like change is happening TO you, you started believing that it is happening FOR you.

When you start believing that your circumstances are there to BENEFIT you, you step into the flow and life begins to get easier.

Stretch Yourself Content Marketing Challenge

What got me thinking about STRETCHING is that I joined Kelly McCausey’s 2019 Stretch Yourself Content Marketing Challenge for the month of September. For 30 days, I’ll be challenged to STRETCH myself to create more content for my business than I otherwise might.

One of the benefits of having a coach, is having someone who encourages you to STRETCH your limits beyond what you believe is possible. That’s the thing about our minds, we tend to limit ourselves and do less than we are actually capable of.

In the Stretch Yourself Content Marketing Challenge, Kelly gives you challenges that you are encouraged to complete. Each participant earns points for each challenge that they complete, and in the end there are prizes.

Woohoo, I love me some prizes!

And when I create more content that supports you to love your midlife years, you have more resources to help you make midlife your best life.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Can you see how stretching yourself can make your life better and bring you greater happiness?

Here is an exercise to begin STRETCHING yourself.

Stretching Exercise:

  1. What’s a BIG dream or goal that you have that you have yet to realize? Write it down.
  2. Decide when you’d like to have this BIG dream or goal manifest itself in your life and write that date down.
  3. Now make a list of all of the steps you would need to take to make this happen. And yes, I want you to write them down.
  4. Get busy and begin working on your BIG dream using the steps that you wrote down in #3!

Complete this simple exercise by answering the questions and writing down your answers. When you write down your goals and the steps you need to take to make them happen, it’s easier to stay focused and you are more apt to realize your dreams and goals.

BIG Dreams Get BIG Results

Did you notice that I used the word, BIG when I described your dreams and goals? That’s because it’s your BIG dreams and goals that will stretch you out of our comfort zone. When you choose your goals, make sure you choose something that stretches you AND is also doable.

When you reach your goals you will feel proud of yourself. This in turn benefits your self-esteem. Yay!

Keep in mind that while it’s never too late to go after your BIG dreams, it will be easier if you begin today, rather than putting them off for another 10 to 20 years. These are your midlife years, remember! 😉

3 MUST DO’s To Love Your Midlife Years

For additional support on making midlife your best life, download my 3 MUST DO’s To Love Your Midlife Years. It’s free and it will help you gain clarity on how to love your midlife years.

Join The Challenge

If you’re a business owner who wants to be challenged to create more content, join me in Kelly McCausey’s 2019 Stretch Yourself Content Marketing Challenge. It would be fun to cheer each other on as we reach our business goals together.Stretch Yourself Content Marketing Challenge

Endless Opportunities

There are so many opportunities in life to STRETCH yourself to grow, and as a midlife woman now is the perfect time.

Whatever area of your life you decide to stretch yourself in, I’d love to hear about it. Leave me a comment below on what you think of the idea of stretching yourself and how you plan to stretch yourself in midlife.

With love,

Julie

Welcome To Midlife…Now What?

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Remember when you were a teenager and adults in their 40’s, 50’s and beyond seemed OLD? Yes so do I, but here we are. We are now one of them.

If you are in or reaching midlife, you have joined the ranks of women with raging hormones, tipping scales and energy levels that are dropping faster than the ball in Times Square on New Years Eve. Your kids may have flown the coup and if your husband is still around, you may hardly know him or even like him. Yikes!

Sound familiar?

Don’t fret however, as you are not alone. You may have the desire to be unique, but when it comes to reaching midlife and doing what’s necessary to avoid a midlife crisis, YOU are one of many.

How did this happen you ask?

It was easy. You were living life in a whirlwind and suddenly POOF.

Something CHANGED.

Life Is A Changin’

Change, those illustrious circumstances that race in like the Tazmanian Devil, cause you to feel frantic, then leave you heaped in a pile not knowing what happened, nor what’s next.

There you were doing what any respectable girl would do; raising kids, running off to soccer games, minding the household, playing the good wife, punching the time clock and then BAM.

Midlife appears and you feel worn out, lost and empty.

But like I said, the good news is that you are not alone. And despite the changes and the challenges, your life is far from over.

In fact, this is your time to start livin’!

Picking up the pieces of change can be daunting however. And, where to begin can be puzzling. Let’s be honest, facing the challenges of midlife can be down right overwhelming, depending on your own personal circumstances.

This is where you may be a bit unique.

What’s Your Story?

Is your youngest starting high school or in their Senior year? Or is it that your youngest is college bound?

What about your marriage? Is it solid as a rock or built on quick sand sucking your happiness dry?

Have you gone through a midlife divorce and find that being a single midlife woman is not the cat’s meow?

What about your aging parents?

Have the roles reversed and you are now parenting your parents? You may even be a card-carrying member of the sandwich generation.

What about your career?

You may be feeling the boredom of doing the same thing for years and are ready for a change. And retirement might be just around the corner.

Perhaps you never had time for a career and you’re feeling the emptiness of unmet desires and still long to make an impact.

I could keep going, but what would be the point?!

You are officially a midlife woman feeling like the millions of other women in your age bracket and wondering, what’s next.

Opportunity Abounds

Yes, I know that it may be hard to believe that midlife is a time of opportunity, but it’s true.

Midlife gives you the chance to look in the mirror and reflect on where you’ve been and more importantly, where you want to go. Ask yourself, what are the goals and dreams that got tossed to the wayside while you were raising a family and taking care of everyone else?

That’s a BIG question and you’re not expected to be able to answer it in three words or less. Let’s face it, you are probably used to putting yourself last. You may not even know what your goals or dreams are.

That’s ok. You have time to figure it out. But don’t take too long, because midlife really can be your best life. There are so many opportunities, things to experience and most importantly areas for growth.

Growing vs Dying

Do you feel as if the only thing growing is your waistline? 😉

We’re not going to explore your health choices just yet. The growing that I’m talking about is what’s on the inside. It’s the growth that happens at the soul level.

If you’re not growing you’re dying, so what are you going to choose in your midlife years?

Here are some ways that you can start LIVING (and growing) in midlife.

If you’re feeling lost, lonely, empty, sad, discouraged, scared or any other negative emotion, the first step is to change all that.

Have you heard the saying, “what you put your focus on grows stronger in your life”?

Well regardless, it’s true.

1. You have to begin focusing your thoughts on how you WANT to feel as opposed to how you actually feel. I’m not telling you to ignore your negative feelings, but let’s face it, us women know how to get extra mileage out of our negativity sometimes, and this is not the time for that.

If you want to feel better, start focusing your thoughts on how you WANT to feel.

2. Next up is to decide what you want in midlife. Heaven forbid that you get what you want. 😉

All kidding aside, YOU have goals and dreams that you’ve yet to realize and now is your time to make them happen. You need to start by thinking about what those are. Then write them down in a journal.

If you’re like most, the negative voices in your head might rear their ugly faces and tell you that none of what you want is possible, but I want you to ignore those voices for now.

What do you want? How do you want your Next Chapter to read?

Some Ideas

Here are six areas that you can focus on to decide where your dreams and goals fit.

1. Relationships

2. Finances

3. Health

4. Career/Mission

5. Spirituality

6. Fun/Leisure

Now make a list of some of your dreams and goals that fit into these categories.

Even if you are clear on what you want in midlife, knowing how to make it happen can be a challenge.

Yikes! What are you supposed to do about that?

This is where my clients tend to get overwhelmed and stuck. They can get past the negative thinking and figuring out what they truly want, but HOW are they going to make it happen?

That’s where having a good coach or mentor is a game changer.

You may have gotten yourself to this point on your own, but getting yourself to where you want to go next doesn’t come naturally for most.

Remember the coaches and teachers that your kids had that helped them be the best that they could be at their game? What about your boss doing the same for you.

We ALL can benefit from having someone who motivates us, lifts us up when we’re down and most importantly, supports us when our friends and family don’t. That’s why I created my complimentary…

Midlife Momentum Session

During our 30-minutes together, I will help you get clear on how you can make midlife your best life!

We will explore what you want and what the best way is to make it happen.

This time is both complimentary and limited however, so click on the link and get started. You have nothing to lose and EVERYTHING to gain!

I can’t wait to chat with you and until then… Get ready to LOVE your midlife years!

Midlife Momentum Session

With love,

Julie