So over the last couple of months or so have met quite a few of my peers – from college or work. +/- 20 years work experience, in the 40’s, mostly well settled at home, have built themselves a decent financial cushion, travel the world and for all practical purposes are in their ‘prime’. And yet I have sensed a general sense of fatigue in most of us. Pretty much without exception. Maybe this is whats referred to as the great Mid Life Crisis.
Have been spending some time thinking and discussing this phenomenon with others – have to admit the first emotion is usually always a great sense of relief that ‘I am not the only one feeling this’. Which by itself makes me think that there must be many more like us out there. So penning this down in case someone who’s not as chatty as I am and maybe needs a small pat of reassurance of ‘You’re not alone in this’ can get it.
So why this fatigue?
And mind it that this has usually nothing to do with the current role or organisation you’re a part of. It’s a state of mind.
Working for over 2 decades generally means you have a basket full of achievements, failures, promotions, missed chances, salary jumps, recession / layoffs – all kinds of experiences under your belt. Dealing with various temperaments, situations and people – both as team members and as managers – has become second nature. Using your own skill sets to gain ground or getting your work done – a well-oiled and smooth manoeuver. So where’s the kick? Where’s the thrill gone? What can provide a ‘whole new challenge’ which is truly a challenge and not just a power point bullet?
In my opinion, most of us are searching for that kick still. Not yet ready to hit the retirement bucket and neither in our ‘Work through the night’ levels of enthusiasm. There’s something which says there’s still something out there which you could go out and achieve – if only you could identify what exactly it is!
Another factor contributing to this fatigue is the fact that most of us now work with the millennials in some form or the other. Now that’s a generation really really different from us. Other than the obvious advantage and enthusiasm of age – they also seem to literally live in a different world than us – call it virtual or call it imaginary. To us it kind of just seems extremely foreign and maybe in bits and pieces a little scary.
We’ve of course adopted technology in many many ways – so don’t confuse us with the generation prior to us. But the sheer speed of change that this new gen seems to thrive on – honestly sometimes makes my head spin just to keep track of. It’s a brilliant world still – and don’t see this as anything other than a earthling’s response to meeting aliens for the first time. You are surprised, curious and even experimentative in the initial days. But the comfort zone gets rattled with too much contact.
I don’t think there’s any set recipe for overcoming this fatigue. Am sure each one of us will ride through this phase with our own individual takes on it. Have already seen a few carve out their own paths – be it following their passions on the side or making it the mainstay. Hopefully most will be on the same path somehow or the other. Till we meet on the other side.. my friend… remember you’re not alone.
P.S. – If you find / have found a shortcut to deal with this, do share! You have no idea how many blessings await!! J
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