I’m in my 50’s. I have left the corporate world. What the hell do I do now?
- edsharp100
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
For many people, one of the hardest parts of leaving a senior role isn’t the loss of status or routine. It’s the feeling that you somehow don’t matter any longer..
For years, your judgement was valued, your experience was sought out and people listened to you. Then suddenly the meetings have stopped and your diary is empty. You start asking yourself the question “If I’m not doing all that anymore… then what?”
This transition away from corporate life can be a really tough period for many people.
It’s compounded by what psychologists call generativity — the deep human need to use what we’ve learned in service of something beyond ourselves. This generative urge becomes more powerful in our 50s and 60s, just at the point when many are leaving their corporate careers.
After decades in corporate life, you probably don’t want to be part of another hierarchy, striving for another title and playing the politics. But what you may well want is to be useful again, to pass something on, focus on giving rather than receiving.
For God’s sake, you might have another forty years of life still left to be active and achieve something!
When I left the corporate world, as well as training to become a coach, I became a governor at our village primary school. It wasn’t something I had ever really considered before, but I felt an urge to contribute and share some knowledge – and I really enjoy making this small contribution to village life.
The post-corporate phase can feel so unsettling. Your contribution instinct is alive… but it no longer has a home.
If you’ve left corporate life and feel oddly restless, perhaps quite depressed at times — you’re not broken. But rather you’re in a transition where your desire to contribute wants a new shape. And finding that shape is work worth taking seriously.
If some of this resonates, you’re not alone. Many people I speak to are navigating this exact transition — no longer who they were and unclear about who they might become.
It can be a tough period and you might well need some help.
If this speaks to you and you’d appreciate some support, please get in touch with me at https://lnkd.in/eQ4FthhV
