Mentoring and Mid-life Renaissance

Mid-life is an important stage of life, often associated with the stress of changes related to aging, health and career. For some, this passage is aptly labeled mid-life crisis; for others it can be a liberating, vibrant transition that I prefer to call mid-life renaissance.

At mid-life, the transition of aging means confronting inevitable life changes. Mentoring provides a golden opportunity to renew enthusiasm, rejoice in life experience and ignite a passion for new goals.

The demographic of the Australian workplace means that people aged 45-55 often mentor people in their 20-30s who are in the early stage of career. The mentor's role is to guide the other person as they explore goals and options and develop skills to achieve them. Mentors frequently find the relationship is a catalyst for examining their own work and aspirations.

The trend has been to retire at age 55-65 marking the end of career. However, longer life expectancy, different social dynamics and economic influences, mean people may want, or need, to stay in work and find new ways to engage in life. Some people are rejecting the concept of retirement entirely but seeking better work-life balance now. This means finding ways to include activities once put off until retirement in their present lives. Travel, hobbies, leisure and learning become priorities. The pursuit of life-long dreams, reinventing themselves and new relationships may be desired. Yet the need for meaningful work remains. Career decisions take on new importance, there's often a sense of "it's now or never".

The stress of letting go of old concepts combined with the excitement of new possibilities can create an emotional turmoil, not unlike that felt at the beginning of adulthood. Similarly, mid-lifers also experience changing hormone levels that can sometimes produce physical and emotional challenges. No wonder this passage is called mid-life crisis!

The Chinese character depicting the word "crisis" contains the elements of "danger" and "opportunity". Mid-life issues certainly fit that description. As with any kind of stressor, how the body and mind process the experience directs the potential outcome. Will distress result in debilitation or will the challenge stimulate and strengthen? Will we wither or will we grow?

The term "renaissance" is most often associated with the great revival of art, literature and learning that transformed the medieval world and ushered in the modern era. So to, mid-life can be a time of rebirth, renewal, a return, perhaps, to the ideals of youth combined with the wisdom of age.

If mid-life is to be a renaissance, it means re-examining our true values, re-igniting our sense of purpose, restoring genuine goals and living in alignment with our real priorities. When mentors are trained to assist someone else capture and create their aspirations, they are perfectly primed to explore their own.

Mentoring another naturally causes reflection on one's own issues. Mentors of any age need support, a network of colleagues, their own mentor or peer with whom they can discuss general and personal issues. Mentors at mid-life are in transition and, as with any journey, can make it alone but are better off with fellow travelers. Who mentors your mentors?