Falling in Love Again with Your Job, Career

Published August 24, 2016 by Sally Arnold, Encore Careers

About the role

This article explores why many professionals around the age of 40 experience a decline in passion for their careers, often feeling stuck or unfulfilled. The focus is on reigniting love and excitement for one’s career path through self-reflection and strategic reinvention rather than abandoning years of experience for entirely new ventures.

Key Insights

• Voice of Authority: Reconnect with the deep-seated beliefs, ideas, and expertise that once fueled your passion. Identify the aspects of your work that fulfill you when you speak about them with confidence and authority.
• Leadership: Rekindle your love for leadership by celebrating your strengths and silencing self-doubt. Reflect on past successes in leading teams and organizations, and reignite the energy and vision that once drove you.
• Vision with Creative Inspiration: Combine your renewed sense of authority and leadership into a clear, actionable vision for your career. Set a defined goal (e.g., a professional milestone by the end of the year) and approach it with the same dedication as a musician preparing for a performance—practicing, refining, and infusing it with passion and purpose.

Approach

The process involves introspection and healing to rediscover the excitement and potential you felt at the start of your career. Instead of seeking external solutions (e.g., switching to a completely different field like opening a café or florist), the focus is on leveraging your existing experience and reigniting your internal drive. This method helps professionals avoid the pitfalls of impulsive career changes, such as long hours and low pay, while fostering long-term fulfillment.

The article emphasizes that falling back in love with your career starts with falling in love with the person you were when you began—reconnecting with the ambition, optimism, and sense of possibility that defined your early career. Challenges and setbacks are framed as part of life’s natural cycle, and the choice lies in either giving up or rediscovering your inner passion and purpose.

Additional Notes

This approach is described as a healing process that reconnects you with your uniqueness and true self. It encourages using your innate powers of self-healing to address career dissatisfaction rather than applying temporary "band-aid" solutions. The method can be applied repeatedly to maintain a fulfilling and dynamic career.

For those interested in exploring this further, Sally Arnold offers a complimentary 15-minute Power Coaching session to assess individual needs and discuss strategies for creating a "Career Encore." Sally specializes in working with global clients over the age of 40 who have high-level careers and significant potential, helping them move past stagnation toward success.