I’m still navigating what feels like a midlife crisis. It crept in when I realized my imagined middle-aged self – the one from my 20s – was supposed to be effortlessly cool, attending gallery openings and indie rock shows, and fluent in French. Instead, reality is a barrage of emails and the thrill of discovering pumpkin-spice-infused novelties at Trader Joe’s. My younger self would scoff at my current caffeine curfew and my careful consideration of the health risks of enthusiastic snow shoveling.
If you’re finding my midlife musings tedious, you’re in good company. Perhaps a guerilla dance troupe invitation or gallery opening passes could pull me out of this. The nerdy nature of my crisis thankfully allows me to appreciate life’s positives: a loving family, good health, a clean conscience, and a fascinating job researching meaning and purpose as a professor.
Yet, the questions linger: What exactly is a midlife crisis? Why is midlife seen as a crisis point? Is it a genuine turning point, a bridge between past and future, or just a dated concept? And crucially, How To Find purpose to get through this, even without mastering French?
Decoding Midlife: Meaning and Purpose
Researching these questions is complex. If we collectively believe midlife is a period of significant change and re-evaluation, then it becomes so, regardless of concrete reasons.
Common explanations for midlife turning points include hormonal shifts, children leaving home, aging parents, career plateaus, or the weariness of routine. The convergence of these factors is often cited as the trigger for a midlife crisis. Recent studies even suggest a dip in happiness during our late 40s.
Regardless of whether age dictates a life re-evaluation, the themes of change – in our bodies, family roles, careers, ambitions, or even aspirations like learning French – are deeply intertwined with our sense of meaning and purpose. When our self-perception and life’s direction feel altered, incomplete, or unsatisfying, the very foundations of meaning can feel shaky.
Scholars often define meaning in life through three core elements:
- Coherence: Our ability to make sense of our life narrative and experiences.
- Significance: The feeling that life is inherently valuable and that we, as individuals, matter.
- Purpose: Dedication to long-term, deeply held goals that guide our choices and actions.
Interestingly, research doesn’t consistently show a decline in meaning with age. A large California study indicated that meaning in life actually peaks around age 60. My own research suggests a more nuanced trajectory, highlighting the difficulty of pinpointing the life course of something as complex as meaning through single-point-in-time surveys. Further research is needed to understand the nuances of meaning across the lifespan, particularly whether purpose is the most challenging element in midlife and beyond.
Purpose often takes center stage in discussions of meaning because it’s the active, outward expression of our inner sense of coherence and significance. Meaningful purposes grow from our understanding of the world and empower us to contribute, reinforcing our sense of mattering. A lack of purpose often signals a feeling of being misaligned with our true path.
A comprehensive meta-analysis by Martin Pinquart, reviewing 70 studies, found a slight decrease in purpose as people age into later life. This analysis focused on the “purpose” element of meaning, often measured by questions about future goals and aspirations. While it’s logical to have fewer future-oriented goals as we age, this can understandably feel disheartening. Fewer goals can translate to feeling like we have less to strive for.
This is why finding a sense of purpose is crucial for navigating a midlife crisis. As highlighted in a Greater Good article, “How to Find Your Purpose in Midlife,” purpose is strongly linked to improved health, including physical agility and cognitive function, and even longevity. Numerous studies now demonstrate that purpose-driven lives are healthier, happier, more cognitively sharp, and longer, even when accounting for other influencing factors.
These studies paint a clear picture: purpose after 50 is beneficial and attainable. While some aspects of meaning and purpose may shift as we age, the overall sense of a meaningful life can continue to grow, bringing significant benefits to our well-being.
Finding Your Purpose: A Midlife Guide
So, how to find purpose when facing a midlife crisis of meaning? Here are three suggestions based on the core elements of meaning: coherence, significance, and purpose:
- Cultivate Coherence: Understand yourself and the world around you to create a sense of consistency and predictability. Step back from the daily grind and dedicate time to reflection and learning. Reconnect with your strengths, values, and sources of joy.
- Amplify Significance: Nurture the feeling that your life is valuable and worthwhile. Recognize the positive impact you have and how your life matters. Relationships are often key to feeling significant. Invest time in understanding how your relationships have evolved and how to foster continued growth with loved ones.
- Embrace Purpose: Dedicate your energy to deeply meaningful dreams and aspirations that extend beyond yourself and contribute to the greater good. These purposes shouldn’t be easily achievable checklist items. They should be significant dreams where the journey itself is fulfilling. With such purposes, the number of years ahead becomes less relevant; each year can be infused with purpose-driven action.
Of course, this is easier said than done. Finding purpose isn’t like picking pre-packaged solutions off a shelf. The process of self-exploration is what cultivates meaning and purpose. Recognizing the importance of meaning for well-being, rather than seeing it as a distraction, is a crucial first step. Meaning isn’t another task; it’s the foundation for a fulfilling and impactful life.
Midlife Purpose in Action: Real-Life Examples
I sought insights from my LinkedIn network on purpose after 50, and their responses painted an inspiring picture.
A recurring theme was re-evaluating existing systems. One successful coach shared how, in her late 40s, she realized her executive success came at a health cost. This led her to a second career leading a coaching company focused on healthier, happier living.
Another professional shifted away from corporate values that no longer aligned with her own. An around-the-world trip led her to redirect her skills from optimizing customer experience for profit to optimizing it for well-being.
Another key theme was shifting focus from financial gain to service. Two leaders in happiness programs emphasized giving back. One dedicated time to mental health stigma reduction, while the other transformed his practice into a B-Corp, integrating societal and environmental benefits into their business model.
Others highlighted education, pursuing advanced degrees, reigniting a passion for learning, and building lasting ventures. Each path demonstrated a unique approach to how to find purpose after 50.
While reflecting on life’s aspirations at 50 might seem indulgent, regularly assessing whether you’re living and working in alignment with your desires is vital at any age. While privilege can ease the pursuit of meaning, the question “What is the meaning of my life?” is universal. And the answer often involves sharing our resources, whatever they may be.
Is there something uniquely significant about age 50 or midlife? Perhaps. I resonate with Heidi Stone, a LinkedIn commentator, who described this period as a “catalyst for a fresh take on life.”
Ultimately, the age may be less important than the openness to catalysts that prompt us to re-examine whether we are actively cultivating meaning and purpose in our lives, regardless of whether we are 50, 62, or 76.
Perhaps this reflection should resolve my midlife crisis, but… encore, je ne peux pas parler français!
