Your Next Chapter .... A free newsletter about midlife transition

Your Next Chapter: Face your fear, one stroke at a time. Fear doesn’t vanish — it’s managed, stroke by stroke. Here’s how to keep moving when there’s no shore in sight. W. T. F. am I doing here? Half a mile from shore, alone in a Central Florida lake. The pack has disappeared ahead of me. I bob in the open water, chest heaving, wetsuit pressing tight, the question rises with every heartbeat: “What if I can’t make it?” When Fear Hits ... When you’re treading water this far out, you have to...

Your Next Chapter: It's never too late to trust your inner compass. Not long ago, I had an “aha” moment that surprised me. At 65, I discovered that I meet the criteria for a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) — a term I hadn’t heard until recently. That discovery didn’t erase anything from my past; it reframed it. Suddenly, so many random or frustrating career moments made sense: • Why I sometimes felt exhausted by noisy offices and chaotic workplaces • Why I replayed difficult conversations long...

Your Next Chapter: Is your imposter a barrier to self-acceptance — or a bridge? Twenty years ago this week, I stood on the side of the road in handcuffs. The counselor who once guided others through relapse and recovery… … was now the man doing the hokey pokey in a field sobriety test. That night felt like the end of everything. And in truth, it became the doorway to something else. Not quickly. Not neatly. But eventually. One Day at a Time ... In the 1990s, I was active and visible in the...

Your Next Chapter: Does age bias start in the mirror? Sometimes the barrier isn’t HR — it’s how we frame our own story. On a recent episode of Achieving Success with Olivia Atkin, one of the topics we covered was age bias in today’s workplace. When she started at a major defense contractor, seasoned team members were often seen as “just hanging on” until retirement. But she soon found they were the steady hands in pressure moments, mentors for younger staff, and the ones who kept projects on...

Your Next Chapter: Reinventing Retirement - You’re not done, you’re just in a new chapter Reinventing retirement isn’t about winding down—it’s about showing up differently. Last week I went to a memorial service for a friend’s sister. At one point, the family shared a moment of wisdom from her young grandson; words that helped guide them through their grief. But first, let’s set the stage. Barton Springs pool in Austin is a landmark. Its water is a crisp 68 degrees year-round. In the summer,...

Your Next Chapter: The Portfolio Career Path: From Chaos to Clarity I didn’t plan on a portfolio career. It unfolded through 20+ jobs, setbacks, pivots, and a lot of self-discovery. Some people design a portfolio career on purpose. Mine evolved through pivots, missteps, grit, and growth. I recently joined Laura Bennett on the Coach’s Corner Podcast (you can listen to the episode here) to talk about midlife clarity, what it really takes to build a career that fits, and how to navigate today’s...

Your Next Chapter: Alanis Morrissette's message about gratitude, growth, and forgiveness. Thank You, Adversity A midlife reflection on gratitude and growth I used to hear the opening lines of Alanis Morrissette's Thank U and think it was just a gentle ballad of appreciation. “Thank you India / Thank you providence …” But lately, in this chapter of life, I hear it differently. Now I hear a deeper message. A radical kind of gratitude. The kind that comes after you’ve been knocked down and learn...

Your Next Chapter: Start Where You Are: A Midlife Map for Moving Forward What running, injury, and reinvention taught me about lasting change. Have you ever looked up and thought: “This isn’t what I planned.” “This used to work, but it doesn’t anymore.” Or even, “I don’t know what comes next.” If so, you’re not alone. Whether you’re recovering from burnout, rethinking your career, managing a health shift, or just navigating that quiet midlife question, what now?, you’re exactly where you need...

Your Next Chapter: What’s your navy blue wall? You don’t need a full life overhaul to begin again. Sometimes it starts with a single step and a promise to yourself. Maybe you’ve been there. You sit in a space that doesn’t feel quite like home. Days don’t fit the person you’ve become. You hold back. Not because you don’t want change, but because you don’t know where to begin. A friend of mine sat in that space after a divorce in his 50s. New state. New job. Bachelor apartment. Big questions....