Last weekend, I was at the zoo with a friend - kids in tow, strollers loaded with snacks, sunscreen, and everything but the animals we came to see.

We were both on solo parent duty while our spouses worked (the irony wasn’t lost on us), and in between chasing toddlers and locating public restrooms, we managed a few actual grown-up sentences.

At one point, he looked over and said:

There was no judgment in his voice. Just quiet recognition.

We didn’t say much after that. The kids were halfway across the path and someone was demanding a juice box. But that moment stuck with me.

Because five years ago, I wouldn’t have been at the zoo on a Saturday morning. I would’ve been working. Or flying. Or cramming in one more call before the weekend disappeared. Not out of guilt - out of love for the game. I was all-in on my career. Work wasn’t part of my life - it was my life.

I didn’t feel off-balance. I felt on fire.

But then life started to bloom.

A husband I wanted to see more. Kids. A home. Real friendships. New values. Old goals that no longer spark. Priorities started shifting - not because I stopped being ambitious, but because ambition itself started to feel... different.

The identity whiplash of changing seasons

What no one tells you is that this transition can feel weird.

You don't get a memo saying “You’re evolving.” You just find yourself saying no to things you would’ve jumped at five years ago. Letting yourself work less than you technically could. Turning down the once-sexy opportunities you’d normally chase on instinct.

And then, in a quiet moment, you wonder:

Because when your identity has been tightly braided with your career for years - when being “the driven one” is part of your core operating system - backing off even a little can feel like betrayal.

But here’s the truth:

The myth of decade-after-decade rocket fuel

There’s this quiet pressure in high-achieving circles:
If you’re not compounding your career at the same velocity you were five years ago, something’s gone wrong.

But that’s not how real growth works. And it’s definitely not how real life works.

There’s a concept in economics called the U-curve of happiness, which shows that life satisfaction tends to dip in your 30s and 40s - right when many people are hitting peak responsibilities at work and at home.

One large-scale analysis (Blanchflower & Graham, NBER, 2022) found that this midlife dip is consistent across countries, genders, and incomes. It’s not because something is wrong - it’s because everything converges.

More demands. More tradeoffs. More people depending on you.
And less space to breathe.

But here’s what that curve also shows:
​Happiness increases again later in life.​
Not because things get easier - but because priorities get clearer.

You stop chasing every opportunity.
You start choosing with intention.

And if you do it right, you build a career that grows with you - not one that drags you through a life that no longer fits.

What if this is what growth looks like now?

For me, the shift wasn’t just emotional - it was structural.

When I started my career coaching business, it was actually my fourth company. But this time, I wanted something very different.

I didn’t want to build a big team. I didn’t want to scale fast.
I didn’t want to manage people, systems, or complexity.

I wanted to build a business that worked around my life - not one that swallowed it.

So I made a deliberate decision:
​Keep it simple. Keep it lean. Keep it me.

To do that, I focused on just three things:

1. Coaching 1:1 clients
2. Writing this newsletter
3. Writing on LinkedIn

That’s it. If something didn’t fall into the categories of audience growth or revenue generation, it didn’t make the cut. And I was ruthless about that.

Because every “maybe” project had an opportunity cost:
​Time with my kids.

And that price? Too steep.

The result? A business I actually enjoy.
Work I’m proud of.
Clients I love.
A schedule that works - because it’s built around the season I’m in now.

That’s not less ambitious.
It’s just more aligned.

A gut check for the season you're in

If you’ve been sensing a shift - but haven’t quite named it yet - try this:

Look at your calendar this week. And ask yourself:

Most of us never consciously update our operating system.
We just keep running old code, based on who we were in a different life chapter.

Maybe your schedule still reflects 20s-era hustle.
Maybe your metrics of success haven’t evolved in years.
Maybe your ambition is still on autopilot - and it’s time to take the wheel again.

Here’s the good news:
You don’t have to burn everything down to make a change.
You just have to start listening - to your energy, your values, your life.

Your ambition hasn’t gone anywhere.
It’s just asking to be redefined.

Until next week,

Beckie

P.S. If you're ready to design a career that fits this season of your life - not the one you were in five years ago - I’d love to help.

​Click [HERE] to book a free strategy call.​

We’ll take a look at:

• Where you’re stretched too thin
• What parts of your work still light you up
• What kind of business or career would actually serve the life you're living now

This call is focused on real talk about what comes next - and how to build it on your terms.

When you’re ready, here are 3 ways I can support you:

1. Complete Career Transformation

My signature one-on-one coaching program will help you get clear on what’s next for your career, plus upgrade your story, sales documents (resume, cover letter & LinkedIn profile) and strategy to confidently transition into a career that fuels your life, making Mondays the best day of the week. Apply Here.​

2. Career Power Hour

Receive coaching and feedback from me on any element of your career growth or job search - including job offer negotiation - in this high impact 60-minute session. Reserve Now.

3. Follow me on LinkedIn​

For advice on navigating career transitions, job search tips and how to design a career you love.