Reinvent Yourself In The Second Half Of Your Life

American President, Theodore Roosevelt, once said: "Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."

There is an increasing trend among midlifers and beyond, particularly women, to reinvent themselves in the second half of their life. If finding meaningful work is tempting to you, there is nothing stopping you from following your passion and doing what you love.  
According to research conducted by the MetLife Foundation and Civic Ventures, more and more men and women in midlife and beyond are looking to change careers and do meaningful work. They want to be able to earn income as well as do good work beyond themselves.
Here are some of the main findings from the survey that was conducted in 2008:


1. Areas of work: Between five and eight million Americans are already engaged in encore careers. Interestingly, there are more women than men (56% vs. 44%, respectively) doing it. The most popular areas of work include education, health care, government, other non-profit organizations, and for-profit businesses that serve the public good. 

2. Loving the experience: People in encore careers have very high job satisfaction. They feel good about the work they are doing and see positive results. They also feel that they are making a difference and that they are appreciated. In addition, they get to use their skills and experience and they are learning new things.

3. Motivation: Midlifers and beyond have many reasons for wanting to engage in encore careers. They want to stay active, productive, and challenged. They are also looking for continued income and health benefits. It is also important to have flexibility in the work they do.
You should not worry about whether you are too old.  You should ask yourself what do you need to do and know now. 
Other hot areas where boomers can make a difference include:
 
• social services (medical assistant or nursing),
• the legal profession (mediation),
• green careers (energy efficiency),


I myself returned to university in midlife and completed a Ph.D. in education when I was 48. It was one of the highlights of my life and opened many doors for me.For more about reinventing yourself in the second half of life, check out the interview that Dr. Fred Horowitz and I did with Brian Kurth, innovative career expert, available at www.happiness-after-midlife.com/midlife-career-change.html.

About the author:
Dr. Frank Bonkowski writes about midlife issues, such as being happy, career change, goal setting, education, self-discovery, and spirituality to leverage your midlife transition into lifelong happiness at Happiness-After-Midlife.com. Look for his e book Take Charge of Midlife and Beyond: 52 Ideas and Activities for Dealing with Life's Challenges - Aging, Change, Financial Matters, and More! He is also co-author of a two-hour Audio program, Breaking Free at Midlife: Building Wealth through Your Small Business, aimed at those focused on building wealth.


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