When working with coaching clients in midlife (Gen X, born 1980-1965) around their Big Vision for their work in the world, I’ve found that they sometimes fall into two camps: weary and resigned, or naive and disappointed.

The wearily resigned have been crushed by the weight of financial responsibilities, care taking, health challenges, and career setbacks. To dream feels dangerous, unrealistic, and not possible. The naive and disappointed hold onto their youthful dreams. They rebel against midlife restrictions. But when they bump up against midlife limits, they become disappointed and deflated that achieving their dreams has become more difficult.

I believe one of the keys to navigating midlife is to practice youthful maturity, to allow yourself to dream youthfully and mentor yourself maturely, to find your own middle way between idealism and realism. One way to do this is to listen to both voices: the youthful dreamer and the mature mentor.

Ask the youthful dreamer and mature mentor separately:

1. What is your Big Vision for your work in the world?

2. What do you already have that can make this Big Vision real?

3. What challenges might you face achieving your Big Vision?

4. How can you solve these challenges?

And then ask them together, as one youthfully mature dream mentor:

1. What is our Big Vision?

2. What do we already have that can make our Big Vision real?

3. What challenges might we face achieving our Big Vision?

4. How might we solve those challenges?

If you try it, let me know what your youthful mature dream mentor says!

Want some help clarifying and communicating your Big Vision for midlife? Schedule a sample, complimentary 30-minute Big Vision coaching call today.