Before writing this issue, I did something I hadn’t planned to do.
I went back and reread all 21 issues of Your Next Chapter I’ve published so far.
I didn’t do it to polish or optimize.
I did it to slow down and notice what I may have missed.
Here’s what stood out.
The early issues were thoughtful.
Careful.
Useful.
They were also a little guarded.
I could see myself trying to bring value —
to sound prepared, grounded, helpful.
That made sense.
It’s how I learned to operate in professional life.
But somewhere along the way, the writing changed.
The tone softened.
The pacing slowed.
There was more space between ideas.
Less explaining.
More reflecting.
I didn’t make a conscious decision to write that way.
I only saw it once I looked back.
And that’s when something clicked.
The most meaningful shifts in this chapter of my life
aren’t happening because I’ve figured things out.
They’re happening because I’m willing to stay uncertain just a little longer.
I don’t need to resolve everything before I move.
I stopped waiting to be ready and learned while doing.
I didn’t see a straight line of progress —
I saw momentum.
In midlife, clarity doesn’t usually come first.
Movement does.
Often it begins with a small, uncomfortable step —
one that feels unfinished or slightly exposed.
Because we’re learning in public.
As I move further into my own next chapter —
especially after decades of full-time work —
I’m seeing that this isn’t about reinvention at all.
It’s about discernment.
About paying attention to what’s shifting
before it has language.
That’s what I’ll explore in 2026.
Not bold declarations or tidy frameworks.
Honest attention to the moments
where something new is forming
that hasn’t fully revealed itself yet.
In the coming issues, we’ll stay with questions like:
- What does it mean to become a beginner again without losing your authority?
- How do high performers misread restlessness as a problem instead of a signal?
- When does clarity tend to arrive — and what usually comes before it?
- Where does the next chapter begin when it doesn’t arrive all at once?
If you’ve been sensing a shift
but resisting the urge to force answers too soon,
this space is for you.
Thanks for staying with the questions.
— Mark Wigginton
Midlife Guide | Next Chapter Navigator
📬 MarkW@FocusingOnResults.com
🌐 www.focusingonresults.com
🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn
P.S. If this message resonated with you, it might speak to someone else too. Forward it to a friend who’s ready for their next chapter—you never know what kind of shift a few words of encouragement can spark.
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