Trying to find your midlife purpose can feel like a monumental task. Especially after years filled with activity that left little room for pondering questions like, “What should I do with my time?”
Are you kidding me? What time? Filling up your time in the growing years was never a problem!
If you’re like me or many women I talk to, the opposite was true: you had to be diligent about carving out time and space for yourself and your interests.
It makes sense that you might be a little rusty when it comes to figuring out what will bring you joy and a sense of purpose in the second half of life.
Today, on the podcast, I’m sharing a tool that can help.
It’s a simple series of five questions that will get your creative juices flowing if you’re stuck and bring order to the chaos if you’re spinning.
Tune in at bloominginthemiddle.com/14, and let’s shake you out of your midlife haze and get you moving in the direction God is calling you to next.
Your Quest to Find Your Midlife Purpose Starts Here
When you start looking at the blank slate called “My Midlife Purpose” and wonder what to put on it, two things might happen:
1 – All you hear are crickets, and you don’t know how to get yourself fired up. Or
2 – Your brain is a scramble with so many “maybes” that you can hardly hear yourself think.
Happily, there’s a way to bring order and inspiration to your quest to find your midlife purpose.
First, let me share how I found myself in the midlife predicament of not knowing what comes next. Maybe you’ll relate.
Finding Purpose in the Growing Years
I loved being a full-time mom and poured all my energy into my kids. I homeschooled them for eight years and spent hundreds of hours carpooling, cheerleading, counseling, feeding, and doing the one million other things moms do every day.
In my mind, there was no time left over to pursue my own interests. My kids were my interests, and that was enough for me.
But guess what? They grew up.
And like many women, I found myself asking, “What now?”
I had to face the hard truth that I’d invested so much into my roles of wife and mother that when those things changed, I didn’t really know where to find my purpose.
Without my people depending on me, I wondered if I had a meaningful purpose at all anymore.
Maybe it’s the same for you.
Finding Your Missing Midlife Purpose
Midlife is a time of transition unlike any other. With so many changes happening all at once, it can seem like you’re leaving your familiar purpose-filled life behind and starting a new one in uncharted territory with too much wide-open space.
You wonder how you’ll find something that gives you the same joy and satisfaction you had in the growing years.
I had to dig deep to find the passions I’d tucked away while raising my family. But when I did, I discovered new things about myself and gained a deeper understanding of God’s plan for my whole life – not just the growing season.
I did this by asking five questions that helped me reflect on the new opportunities God was opening up for me.
5 Simple Questions to Inspire Your New Purpose
I encourage you to use these five questions for reflection.
Maybe take just one a day, pray about it, think about it, and journal what comes up.
Or share the questions with someone who knows you well. Ask them how they would answer the questions for you. Consider carefully what you hear, and let God guide you.
If midlife has you wondering, “What now?” use these five questions to inspire you toward finding your new purpose.
1. What am I here to learn?
This question invites you to approach midlife with curiosity and humility and opens you up to new ideas, perspectives, and experiences.
It’s tempting at a certain age to think you’ve already learned everything there is to know about a topic. Or, that it’s too late to learn something new.
But learning new skills helps your brain generate new neurons and connections and improves memory, attention, thinking, and reasoning skills.
When you approach learning as an opportunity to have fun while you practice – not expecting perfection or mastery without putting in the training time — you’ll grow the strength and determination you need to tackle other challenges that are sure to come on this side of life.
Experts call this resilience. I call it a huge confidence boost! And that confidence will carry you forward to find your new purpose.
2. What am I here to teach?
What unique wisdom can you share from your life experiences that might benefit someone else?
Remember, teaching isn’t only about passing on a specific set of skills – although if you’ve got some to share, by all means, do!
It can also be done through mentoring, leading a small group, or walking alongside someone who needs encouragement.
Think about the challenges you’ve overcome, the victories you’ve won, and the many lessons you’ve learned along the way. See if you find clues there that lead to your midlife purpose.
3. What am I here to overcome?
The obstacles you encounter aren’t always the most apparent connection point to a passion. But how you overcome them can ignite a fire in you.
Whether the obstacles are limiting beliefs, difficult circumstances, or emotional burdens, consider how they may serve as opportunities for transformation.
Remember that overcoming life’s challenges isn’t only about survival. It’s also about growing into the person God is calling you to be.
Who do you want to be when you get to the other side? How can you grow through the struggle? The goldmine of discoveries you make may help you find your midlife purpose.
4. What am I here to complete?
Is there something that won’t be whole or finished until you get your hands on it? Maybe it’s something big, like a relationship that needs healing or a dream you’ve put on hold.
Or it could be something downright practical, like finally organizing all the family photos and making them easily accessible for everyone.
By reflecting on what you’re here to complete, you’ll gain clarity on how to direct your energy toward leaving a legacy that aligns with what you value most.
5. What am I here to express?
Is there something burning inside that you must say, sing, write, paint, or otherwise express in your own unique voice and perspective?
Think about the messages, ideas, or feelings you have waiting to be shared through words, art, actions, or even your way of living.
Sharing your inner self with sincerity and authenticity brings personal fulfillment, deepens your connections with the people you love, and often shines a light on your midlife purpose.
Find Joy in Your Evolving Midlife Purpose
Use these five questions to help structure your search to find your new purpose in midlife.
They offer room to be creative while giving you the scaffolding you need to start building the life you want in midlife and beyond.
Ask them with an open heart for what God has next for you. Know that He’s designed you with unique gifts, talents, and interests to be used in every season.
When you rediscover and nurture your gifts in midlife, God will lead you to your next purpose and the joy-filled second-half life you were created for.
Because he’s not finished with you yet. It’s your time to shine.
