How to get unstuck in your career, give yourself a fresh start and start living the life you want

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Andrew Waddell, The Midlife Coach that helps men struggling with midlife and provides guidance to discover the life they want to live and how to live it. Andrew discusses how men can feel stuck in their careers midlife but also how there is hope to overcome this obstacle and live their life on their terms. 

QUOTES

• “I mean, for me, midlife crisis is sort of immediately a derogatory term, right? It's like society has kind of positioned the midlife crisis, especially for men, or something slightly ridiculous is a sign of sort of male immaturity. It's a sign of kind of men being sort of led by their testosterone. And as a result of which it actually creates an environment in which men can't admit to feeling vulnerable.” – Andrew Waddell

• “I think a lot more people in their 20s now are working on self exploration. I think my generation didn't do that. Because we had no guidance from our own fathers in that space. It wasn't something our fathers did. So there was no kind of path for men to kind of explore themselves in a more meaningful way.” – Andrew Waddell

• “It's this idea that I think about most jobs, especially in the corporate world, that there are a box. And that box is very well defined in terms of job description, in terms of the skills and the capabilities and the qualifications, you need to be in that box. Most of ourselves fits in that box, you know, maybe a large amount of capabilities and skills. But for most people, not all of themselves fits in that box.” – Andrew Waddell

TIMESTAMPS

• [01:29] It’s not midlife crisis

• [04:14] Planning for your mid-career in your 20’s

• [06:25] Living fully and taking risks

• [08:32] Losing your sense of self and getting it back

• [10:42] Common fears in terms of taking action

• [12:51] Pushback from those closest to you when you make a change

• [14:24] What gets in the way of men asking for help?

• [17:23] Advice for people who have been laid off

• [20:25] Sometimes it’s better to get shoved off than leap off the proverbial cliff

• [21:21] Looking back at Andrew’s career

• [26:45] Separating yourself from the weight of pleasing your parents

• [32:49] Advice for those in their 20’s to avoid the mid-life transition

• [36:13] Impulsive decisions that come from the midlife-transition

• [42:07] Andrew’s big learning lesson