How different phases of life impact our career

Our careers are defined by different phases of life that we move in and out of. We grow, explore, mature and decline. This happens both in our personal life and professional careers. We can allow work related aspirations to help pull us out of a phase we’re stuck in.

Traditionally the concept of the psychological phases of life are used to describe chronological age periods.

Each of these is a phase of our life in which we develop, grow and change. The progression of phases looks like this.

Childhood -->Teenage --> Adult -->Middle Age

You could also think of phases of life that are categorized by periods occupied by different events, activities, or relationships we have.

For example:

Someone might have a phase where they dedicated themselves to an athletic achievement. They would be able to reflect on their life and describe that period as being distinct and different than the periods before and after.

Different phases of life, defined by challenges

Now, think about the different phases of life that are defined by a challenges or obstacle we encounter.

This is a phase where our journey is stymied over and over by a behavior pattern or difficulty that seems to be holding us back.

Past self -->|  Challenge in life  |--> Potential Future

Often this challenge period is accompanied by a form of self sabotage that we continuously engage in. Usually without us even being aware of it.

When this happens, our path forward in life has become blocked. We become confined to a phase of life. One that’s caused by our own behavior or beliefs, but against our own interest.

Think of a person in your life- you probably know one like this. Someone who’s always sabotaging themselves and then blaming others. Their response is to play the victim for why life always gives them an unfair deal.

This person is stuck in a phase of life.

I went through a phase in my life where I couldn't help but keep quitting jobs.

We all have phases we get stuck in. Some can even last a lifetime. A phase can be a stubborn glue to escape from. It’s a deceptive mind virus that takes us over.

How this relates to your career journey

There are many people who never have the opportunity to participate in a career path that offers meaning and purpose.

The resulting is that an individual without a purposeful livelihood will remain stuck in a phase of life that confines them.

If we see the concept of work as an unfortunate burden of life, we will almost always carry this pessimism outside of the workplace.

Our attitude towards life mirrors our attitude towards work.

A lack of meaning and purpose in our careers will always impact our personal lives.

Joy and lightheartedness will be rarely present in someone who's job is a source of pain.

However, when we do proactively engage in a meaningful career decision or transition, this often coincides with shift of phases in life.

As we enter a purposeful path in or profession, we shift out of a phase in our life that was disempowering us.

But, if were trapped in a destructive phase in our lives, our ability to make meaningful career decisions seems to escape our grasp.

The cycle of career/life phase dysfunction

There is a common pattern that emerges for adults often in their 30’s and 40’s. It can occur at any age though and isn’t exclusive to any period.

This is a phenomenon where our job or career becomes unfit, and we need a change.

When you've seemed to have lost purpose, you can shake things up by shifting and changing your career path.

So what? Do something else.

The simple answer to this problem is to find a different job, right?

Well, it’s not always that easy.

What happens  in a career slump is that work dysfunction seeps into the personal life realm.

Remember...

Our attitude towards life mirrors our attitude towards work.

Being dissatisfied, and uninspired professionally, this mindset becomes our default operating system. Even outside of work.

We become stuck in a phase in life.

This career phase, defined by lack of inspiration, apathy and hopelessness is a spell that too many of us fall under.

I see many people deal with this by trying to escape. Mindlessly consuming alcohol or having a poor diet. This career phase impacts our physical and mental health, further causing more problems. The issue snowballs. We lose ourselves and can even neglect our families.

You are likely stuck in a phase in your career if you notice:

• That you are spending enormous amounts of your mental energy trying to “figure out” a solution to your career situation.
• You’re endlessly trying to find and think of every possible resolution to your career problem. None seem to offer a solution and every hypothetical outcome seems unfavorable.
• You think there must be another solution to my career situation. One I haven’t considered yet that will solve the dilemma.
• You have lost hope that you’ll find a resolution. You feel a solution to your career problem is impossible.

Escaping the phase

Instead of sulking in job dissatisfaction, a new career objective can be a means of transcending stuck phases in life. A purposeful career path is a target or new career objective that can inspire a new self within.

Escaping a phase of life that you’re stuck in isn’t easy but in can be done.

A meaningful career shift is significant not because of the perks or benefits that the job has, but because of the possibilities the new phase of life opens to us.

It’s meaningful because of the person we became to get there.

The new career becomes just one aspect of a larger more meaningful storyline in our life. This new phase opens doors and possibilities.

Not only professionally, but in all areas. A new phase of life reinvigorates in ways you may not have even considered.