How the Eck did I get stuck at 40!
We hear all the good bits about the Queenager Era: the confidence, the improved bank account, the deep, spiritual "I know myself now" vibes. Midlife and menopause? Rebranded as empowerment. Sexy, even.
But here’s what no one is saying out loud: What happens when you hit the middle and realize... you’re STUCK?
Like, properly, soul-suffocatingly, "Is this it?" stuck.
The Carrie Era That Never Came
I thought I’d be entering my Carrie Bradshaw chapter, flouncing around in tulle skirts and typing profound thoughts. Instead, I was balancing life like a bad load of washing: Kids, bills, relationships, and—most crushing of all—a career that used to sparkle but now felt like a lead weight.
I kept the smile on. Because I’m the glue. The fixer. But inside? I was frozen, flatlined, just waiting for a change I couldn't seem to initiate.
The Career That Quietly Crushed Me
You work so damn hard to build something—a career, a life. You chase the titles, the salary, the stability. And then, one day, you wake up, open your laptop, and think: "I actually hate this."
This is the forty-something dilemma: You don’t want to climb the ladder anymore—but you’re not ready to jump off it either. You feel trapped by the very success you worked so hard for.
I spent months stuck in that cycle, filling every moment of quiet with scrolling or scheduling, desperately wishing a fairy godmother would appear.
Spoiler: She never came, but I showed up for myself.
The Line That Changed My Entire Approach to Work
The biggest shift came when I truly faced the question of my own work-joy. And the realization that cracked my head wide open was this:
“Sometimes your job is just your job—and your joy lives elsewhere.”
Boom. Mind blown.
This wasn't permission to quit everything. It was permission to unhook my identity from my paycheck. It was like lifting the lid off my pressure cooker life. I stopped trying to fix the "stuck" career and started creating space for happiness.
I asked myself, "What actually gives me energy right now?"
Following those tiny sparks—that breadcrumb trail back to myself—showed me that I didn’t need a massive career overhaul to feel alive. I just needed to adjust my relationship with my work and prioritize those pockets of joy.
You Are Not Broken. You Are Ready to be Fully Human.
The crossroads isn’t a grand moment where a neon sign says “Turn Left for Purpose.” It’s just a pause. A mirror. A whisper asking you to look inward and decide what truly matters now in your career and your life.
To every woman reading this—40-something, tired, and quietly dreaming of a career that feels good again—I see you.
You are not stuck. You are ready to write the second act on your own terms.
