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Why You Need To Dip Your Toe In The Water One of the biggest myths about mid-career change is the belief that clarity must come first—that you need a neatly defined destination before you’re able to move. In reality, it’s the opposite, clarity is not a pre-requisite for action. Clarity is a result of action. This matters especially for people in their 50s and 60s who are feeling the uncomfortable weight of identity shock—the moment when the story you’ve lived no longer fits t

Thanks to 55/REDEFINED for their rich, new study, “Purpose, Pay and Possibilities” carried out amongst 3,500 adults aged 50-70. If you haven’t yet read the report, below are the top-line findings. Whilst most of the learnings don’t really surprise me, I was intrigued to see that ‘financial literacy’ is the strongest predictor of a happy retirement. Perhaps there’s an easy win here for companies: They could offer financial planning support as a low-cost/high perceived-value be

I was surprised—and genuinely encouraged—to see that some visionary organisations are beginning to appoint Chief Longevity Officers. Why? Because forward-thinking companies such as L’Oréal and the Portuguese insurer Fidelidade recognise that rising human longevity is reshaping both their workforce and their customer base. The numbers behind this “late-baby-boomer economic boom” are extraordinary: AXA projects that people aged 65+ will spend around $15 trillion globally by 203

s Stephen's story familiar? After more than thirty years in a solid career, he’s just been made redundant. He’s sent out dozens of applications — but hasn’t had a single reply. He doesn’t feel old. He’s still sharp, curious, and full of energy. But the world of work has shifted. Younger hiring managers. New technologies. Different expectations. And suddenly, experience doesn’t seem to open doors the way it used to. Retirement? Not yet. He’s not ready — and can’t afford — to s

My late father-in-law, Jim, retired at 60 and spent the next 38 years pottering happily — gardening, grand-parenting and living life at a gentler pace. He represented the end of an era. For most people leaving work in their 50s or 60s today, the old model of work → stop → leisure no longer fits. Many don’t want to retire — and most simply can’t afford to fund a life-stage that could last 40 years. Welcome to the age of ‘the 100-year life’, the subject of a fascinating book

Something can shift in mid-life. You stop running on autopilot and start asking deeper questions. It’s not always a crisis that provokes...

In recent weeks, two of my coaching clients told me they had deliberately “dumbed down” their CVs when applying for jobs. Both felt their...

As part of my Henley Business School PCEC (Executive Coaching Certificate) studies, I’ve been exploring the concept of “life stages”...

The past nine months have been a turning point for me. I finished the Henley PCEC programme, stepped away from full-time work, turned 67,...

I was fortunate enough to be taught by Professor Charles Handy, who is credited with coming up with the idea of the portfolio career,...