The Gen X Crossroad: Retreat or Renaissance?
A mentor of mine once said, "once you become worth a damn at something, you take a promotion." The older I get, the more I realize the truth of those words. If you take away anything from this post, take this: you are worth a damn - jammed packed with unique experience and value that the entire world needs!
Nearly every Gen X-er I talk to is at this crossroad. There’s a deep sense that we’ve done what we were supposed to do: put in the years, checked the boxes, climbed the ladder…and yet…there’s this sense of "Is this all there is?" "What else?!" It’s as connected to our Generation as "My Sharona".
As I talk to X-ers, several common threads are woven together. There is a sense of losing motivation, lingering lack of ease, or depression, and a rueful restlessness that longs for more.
Truth be told: we have a lot more life ahead, so your next decision is critical. Are you going to retreat and fade away? Or, are you going to burst out of your comfort zone and create your own personal Renaissance?
What’s the Problem?
🐢 Lack of Motivation: Your days are all feeling like you've been binge-watching your own life on repeat, and let's be honest, it’s gotten a bit dull. "If you're feeling uninspired, maybe you’re giving too many f*cks about things that don’t excite you." Mark Manson is a great voice to get in your head. You don’t have time to wash, rinse and repeat sh*t that doesn’t thrill you. Your daily grind might need a remix. If it doesn’t excite you, thrill you, it doesn’t earn reps in your thought life. It doesn’t live rent free in your mind. Deal?
“If you’re feeling uninspired, maybe you’re giving too many f*cks about things that don’t excite you.”
Start 30 days of doing something new. Skateboard to the mailbox, take a jiu jitsu class, swim to France, only watch Bollywood films…I don’t know. Inject something new and unexpected into your bloodstream. BONUS: find people who like to talk about your new obsession and kick it.
🧠 Feelings of Dis-ease and Depression: Can I be honest? Like…real honest? While it’s true that around this time of laugh, there’s a minefield of changes: physical, emotional, intellectual (anybody forget anything during COVID? Hello???), it’s not the midlife malaise that’s killing you. It’s your mindset. You’ve been around the block a few times more than others and you’ve picked up some really limiting beliefs and unhelpful ideas about yourself. Good news! There are better options available.
Tell yourself the truth (or what you want to be true about you). Your brain believes what you tell it. If you constantly reinforce the weird bullsh*t that’s stuck to you since you were a child, that’s your mind’s frame of reference. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. You can literally reprogram ye ol’ gray matter. Change the story. Flip the script. Create a new mindset! You are the star of the movie of your life. If the director sucks, fire them and take over the production!
🧨 Restless Longing for More: You’ve done your thirty, picked up your checks, gone on a vacation, and yet, you’re itching for something more. You’ve go this unrelenting feeling that there’s still territory to be charted. This restlessness isn't a sign of failure; it's a signal from your psyche that you’re ready for growth. You aren’t done. We often misinterpret new beginnings for endings. The credits aren’t rolling, it’s Intermission. Dan Koe reminds us, "Comfort zones are most comfortable right before they’re left behind." G’Bye!
Design a new beginning. What is next? Don’t know? Pretend you did and then answer. No wrong answers, just go for it. Don’t stop until you are thrilled!
Unlocking Next: Strategies for Kicking Ass
💙 Rediscovery of Passions: What were the dreams and hobbies that animated your younger self before life became a series of scheduled events? Revisiting these can ignite a spark that lights up your entire being. Whether it's strumming a guitar, painting a sunset, or writing your first novel, as Mel Robbins suggests, "You need to stop screwing yourself over by living in your head. Get outside, get active, reconnect with what makes you tick."
““You need to stop screwing yourself over by living in your head. Get outside, get active, reconnect with what makes you tick.””
⏳ Redefining Success: Perhaps it’s time to redefine what success looks like. No longer measured by promotions or possessions, success might now mean richer relationships, community involvement, or personal well-being. “Success in the second act of life is measured not by what you gather, but by what you scatter, the joy, knowledge, and experiences shared with others.” John Maxwell is correct. You can still promote and own, but giving and sharing is going to unlock unremitting joy in the chapter of life.
🤷♂️ Embracing Uncertainty: Embrace the unknown with the thrill of a mystery yet to be solved. If you think about it, everything that’s ever been amazing and happened to you started in uncertainty. Maybe small uncertainty or colossal uncertainty, but either way, we thrive on the other side of it. So, rather than dread the unknown of now, get amped about the possibilities of next!
“This new chapter isn’t a crisis; it’s a frontier. Each day holds infinite possibilities, ready for you to script them into existence. ”
My mentor is right: You are finally worth a damn. Lean into it. Be that.
Chris Harrison is a dynamic executive coach, professional speaker, consultant, and seasoned musician. With over 20 years in leadership development and organizational change, Chris empowers professionals to achieve peak performance and transformative growth. Book a call with Chris today!