Grace’s Musings: Why a midlife career shift is not a crisis

I so admire those women who decide to shake up their career in midlife. The actor Jamie Lee Curtis is one of them. As she told Empire recently: “At 60, I kind of flipped my switch and realised, ‘If not now, when? If not me, who? I better get on it.’”

Some of you might think that the desire to change it up at this stage sounds like your typical “midlife crisis”. The term was coined in 1965 by psychoanalyst and social scientist Dr Elliott Jaques to describe the identity conflict and loss of self-confidence that can come with age. But isn’t it time we considered debunking that way of thinking as just another ageist myth?

Why can’t we change it up not through fear, but the desire to blossom? Previous generations of women – those who actually managed to forge a career – were conditioned to aspire to one profession in their lifetime.

Now we’re beginning to realise that’s perhaps not the way happiness lies. So why not pursue your passion and find more meaning in your day job? That’s certainly one of the reasons I set up Studio10.

Curtis has radically changed the way that she works. She broke out as a scream queen in 1978 with Halloween, became a sex symbol in Perfect, then pivoted to comedy with A Fish Called Wanda. But it’s only now that she’s getting to do what she always wanted – accessing her creativity to play characters that are varied, complex and real. In The Last Showgirl, she is Annette, a veteran Las Vegas cocktail waitress who is battling a gambling addiction. In The Bear, she is Carmy’s volatile mother, Donna Berzatto. She’s certainly done compromising.

“I’m an ideas person, and I always have been,” she told Empire. “I write books for children. I’ve invented things. I have patents. That’s who I am and how my brain works. And when I turned 60… I realised that the only tragedy about my eventual death – because I’ve had a gorgeous life – is the creativity that I’ve kept inside me that I never brought out.”

That desire for creativity is something lots of us can probably identify with. I know in my forties I realised I wanted more meaning in my day-to-day work. We evolve as we age. We discover more about who we are. Our life circumstances change – and so our “brand” needs to change too. It’s at this point we have to give ourselves permission to move forwards.

How do we know when the moment is right? We tap into our intuition. Ask yourself how your work makes you feel right now. Are you limited, disempowered? Then it’s time to make a change. It may not be easy, but surely it’s worth a shot?

There are pointers that can help you along the way. The first – and probably the most important for many of us – is to mind your money. If you’re considering a career change, do a thorough audit of your finances. Will your new salary allow you to maintain your current lifestyle? And is that a priority? If the time isn’t right for a wholesale switch, can you start small? Dabble in your new field while maintaining your current job? Maybe do an internship in your new role before pulling the plug on your old one.

Don’t be afraid to be messy – not everything has to be perfect before you kick off your new career. It’s fine to work it out as you go along. And stay curious: accept that you won’t know everything, and that’s OK too.

Show up with a beginner’s mind: we’re always learning, which is a wonderful thing. If you need support, ask for it. Find a mentor: I’m all for the idea of women supporting women.

But most of all, just trust yourself. You’re a wise woman. You have half a lifetime of experience and that should be celebrated. Let your intuition guide you – and don’t be afraid to ask for help. I’d love to know how you get on.