Finding Passion and Purpose in Midlife

by Charlotte Tennant
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Midlife has a bit of a branding problem. For years it’s been reduced to clichés—crisis, reinvention....sports cars. But for many of us, midlife is less about dramatic upheaval and more about a quiet reckoning. A shift. A sense that the life we built so carefully in our twenties and thirties no longer quite fits. We look up from the daily routine and wonder—is this it? Or perhaps simply—what now?
It’s a question I hear often in coaching conversations, and one I’ve asked myself too. Passion and purpose are big, sometimes intimidating words. They suggest grand gestures or sudden clarity. But in reality, they often emerge from something smaller, quieter—curiosity, discomfort, an itch you can’t ignore.
Why Midlife? Why Now?
Research backs up what many of us feel intuitively: midlife is a time of re-evaluation. Psychologist Erik Erikson described it as the stage of generativity vs. stagnation—a developmental task centred on creating, nurturing and contributing to something beyond ourselves. More recent studies, including work by Dr. Brené Brown and Dr. Jonathan Rauch, highlight the “U-shape” of happiness: a dip in life satisfaction that often occurs in our 40s and 50s, followed by an upswing as we begin to align more closely with what matters most.
And of course, part of this shift is fuelled by change—some of it chosen, some of it not. Children become adults. Homes empty out. Roles we’ve inhabited for decades begin to soften or fall away. Parents age. Friendships shift. The pace and rhythm of daily life alters, often without our permission.
These changes can leave us feeling unmoored. But they also create space—sometimes for the first time in years—for us to ask, who am I now? What do I want from this next chapter?
In fact that’s part of what led me to train as a life coach. As my children stepped into young adulthood, I could see a gap opening up in my own life—a quiet space where something new could take root. Coaching had been a long-held dream, but one I’d often told myself there wasn’t room for. Suddenly, I had the time and clarity to say yes to it. And in doing so, I reconnected with a sense of meaning I hadn’t even realised I’d been missing.
What Does Purpose Actually Look Like?
Purpose isn’t always a career change or a world-changing mission. It might be caring for an ageing parent with presence and grace. It might be mentoring someone younger in your field. It might be dusting off an old creative passion or finally starting the book you’ve been meaning to write.
It’s less about what you do and more about why it matters to you.
Here are a few gentle prompts to help you reconnect with your sense of purpose:
What did I love doing as a child, before anyone told me who I should be?

When do I feel most like myself?

What do people naturally come to me for?

What am I curious about, even if it makes no sense right now?

What do I want to be remembered for—not by the world, but by the people I love?

Starting Small is Still Starting
One of the most liberating shifts in midlife is moving away from the need to prove, and towards the desire to experience. You don’t need to overhaul your entire life to feel more purposeful. You might simply carve out an hour a week for something that lights you up. You might start saying “yes” to what nourishes you—and “no” to what no longer does.
And if you’re not sure where to begin, that’s okay too. Sometimes the first step is simply admitting you want more. Not more to do, necessarily—but more to feel. More meaning. More connection. More you.
If this resonates with you, you’re not alone. I work with people navigating this very space—where something inside is shifting, but the path ahead is still forming. If you’d like to explore it together, you can book a free first session. No pressure—just a conversation.