Here are tips that will help you do that!

1) Make sure you have identified one major accomplishment in your life by the time you’re 40.  Whether your achievements are with balance sheets or cookie sheets, whether you’re the mom of straight-A students in four consecutive grades, or the manager of 40 waiters as a four-star restaurant, a marketing professional or a supermarket cashier, you need to rally around something you know you do well, and others should know you do well. Think about a unique achievement you are proud of, and how you could rally that skill to reach and rise higher in your second act!

2) Identify a particular expertise you already have and master to the point where you can become an expert. Be aware of your special abilities and devote as much time as you can to them. Even if you’re not earning money from them, if they make you happy, do them. Practice them! Master them!

3) Seek out others who have similar interests and expertise in your area of focus. Universities and colleges, professional organizations, trade associations, nonprofits, networking groups and other communities, online and offline, are a haven for people who already are experts, want to become experts, or want to hang out experts!

4) Better yet, go back to college as a student. Community colleges and continuing/professional education divisions of major universities are filled with DARE-ING adults of all ages. These schools embrace adult learners, and even tailor career management programs for their specific needs. You can take online almost any course your heart and mind desire – at your own pace and place, in your pajamas if you want!

5) Check out resources like Vocation Vacations.  If you’ve always wanted to explore another job or career without risk to your current professional status or paycheck, have a look at www.vocationvacations.com. You’ll be paired up with a guide in your career of interest and explore different facets of that career via a no-risk test-drive. This is especially valuable if you’re not ready to risk a full-blown career change.

6) A gap year? People over 40 who’ve lost their jobs but are lucky to have received compensation packages, might want to consider a “gap year” to reflect, refresh and reinvigorate their lives. An excellent guide is: The Gap Year for Grown Ups, 3rd Edition: The Most Comprehensive, Practical Guide from the Leading Gap Year Specialist, by Susan Griffith (2009). Griffith covers it all, from the Reasons for doing it, such as: “…burn-out, turning 50, sensory overload, bereavement and depression, shaking out the cobwebs…”, to how to manage career and financial implications, and even logistics of Dealing with email and renting out your home if you go away.

7) Learn a foreign language or musical instrument. Later in life this is a great way to rally your brain, not to mention your social life, cultural appreciation and understanding of the larger world order. Languages like French, Italian and Spanish are at the root of many English words, so you might expand your vocabulary in multiple languages! According to many musicians, the piano is one of the easiest instruments to learn to play, and it is arguably one of the most enjoyable for people over 40. Especially for some of us in our 50s and 60s whose brains and eardrums have been addled by too much percussion in our youth.

Remember: While it might seem like a daunting task to try new things, especially new ways of expanding your intellect, and to rally to new heights now that you’re over 40, this is exactly the best time your life to do so! If you’re under the mistaken assumption that your best years are “behind” you, you really need to get over that!

DARE to think of all the ways and all the people with whom you can rally your expertise, and reach out there and rise!

Thanks to Terry Brodie of GlobeandMail.com

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Call them seniorpreneurs or greypreneurs: Older entrepreneurs have several assets on their side

When many people think of startups, they think of youth. But “seniors have surged to the forefront of the entrepreneurial world of late” and the growing number of businesses being headed by older entrepreneurs has led to the creation of new terms such as ‘seniorpreneur’ and ‘greypreneur,’ notes this piece.

The story notes that the number of people aged 60 and over could reach two billion by 2050, according to the United Nations.

And while aging boomers are a target market for many products and services, on the flip side “is opportunities for seniors to branch out as seniorpreneurs.”

The article points out the growing number of those aged 55-plus who “seem to be rejecting the traditional model of puttering around a garden or golf course.” And they’re carefully planning a transition from a career “to arrive at the threshold of an entrepreneurial venture.”

CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTIRE ARTICLE

Before I decided to spend more than the GNP of a third-world nation to pursue an MBA in my 50s (and suffer the terror of sitting in finance classes feeling as if I’d crashed a secret coven where everyone was interrogating me in Satanic dialects), I too DARED to Start something else.

The sight of the World Trade Center falling in front of my eyes led me to conclude that 20 years spent promoting soap and cereal for global marketing services firms was enough, and that it was time to do Something Important!  Fast-forward three years and three not really important jobs: turns out, every one of those moves was a False Start.

But those experiences, though excruciating, were so beneficial. Here are just a few of the books that have helped me and other women over 40 Start something new. Not a definitive list, but it’s a Start.

• The Breaking Point: How Female Midlife Crisis is Transforming Today’s Women, by Sue Shellenbarger. The Wall Street Journal career columnist illuminates through anecdotes and excellent reporting, the many types of work, avocations and fun that women have Started after they hit 40.

• A Whole New Mind, by Daniel H. Pink.  Full of ideas to think differently, explore all types of intelligence (artistic, physical, etc.) to innovate, pursue meaningful work, and stay relevant.

• I Could Do Anything, If I Only Knew What It Was, by Barbara Sher.  One of the best, most honest books on helping you visualize your “perfect life” – delivered in an empathic, amusing style.

• Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. Exercises to plumb your deepest needs and how to tap into your unconscious for ideas your editing mind won’t allow.

• Jump Start Your Brain, by Doug Hall.  Promises to make you 500% more creative – from a marketing guru who creates products and campaigns that convince us to try, buy and stay loyal to stuff we never even knew we needed let alone wanted.

• AHA! 10 Ways to Free Your Creative Spirit and Find Your Great Ideas, by Jordan Ayan.  Not just 10 ways, but thousands!  Has unstuck even the most tenacious, stubborn, blank, fearful minds.

• Write It Down, Make It Happen, by Henriette Ann Klauser.  A free-association guide, with prompts, questions and lists to encourage you to think differently, identify goals and aspirations, and, yes, make them happen.

• Second Acts, by Stephen M. Pollan and Mark Levine, attorney and author/collaborator.  Guides you through what they call “sources of dissatisfaction” so you arrive at your personal hopes and dreams.

• Six-Week Start Up, by Rhonda Abrams.  An easy-to-complete workbook for launching a new venture, whether a business, nonprofit or other creative endeavor, especially if you don’t have the time or inclination to pour thousands of dollars into B-school, psychotherapy, or other forms of long-term torture.

If that’s your urge, then take time, take stock and take care. Then, take action.

Are you energized about learning and doing something new and exciting with every coming year since you’ve turned 50?

Whether your response is a yelping “Yes!” a tentative “Well, maybe” or an anxious “Not really, but I know I have to, in some way at some point in the second half of your life, you will experience the natural desire or face a compelling need to rewire, reboot and resurge. The economic realities of the late 2000s eliminated the option of “No way” for most of us, because we will be working for longer than we ever thought. For most people that alone is “new and different.”

It’s not as impossible or untenable as it might seem. Whatever “camp” you’re in, I have good news for you: a rewire, reboot and resurge will absolutely power your life for the better. Just who am I to talk? In my early fifties, I was firmly in the “Yes!” camp of doing something new and different than my long career in marketing, only to embark on a series of soul-wrenching and workaholic career moves that challenged my overall physical, emotional and financial health. The experiences almost led me to believe that I couldn’t overcome even minor setbacks, let alone deal with bona fide crises. Making those career moves taught me a lot about resilience.

My resurge began in 2007, when I enrolled at New York University’s Stern School of Business to earn an MBA at age 55, graduating two years later, on my 57th birthday. Armed with extensive research I conducted while in business school, I started writing a book on how visionary, intelligent and motivated individuals over 40 drive and advance successful organizations, their careers, and their own personal development – despite the fact that many stereotypes cast midlife professionals as “over the hill” or “landing on a short runway.” Business school taught me how effective leaders get the right things done, not just by doing things better, but doing better things. Not coincidentally, I expanded my consulting practice to help other motivated individuals over 40 rewire, reboot and resurge. In the process, I’ve met and learned even more from other bold, brave people over 40 who are accomplishing more in the second half of their lives than they thought possible – even after great adversity.

Rebooting and resurging in midlife is necessary regardless of your calling, goals, stages, challenges, or roles – past or present. Whether managers or machinists; teachers or technicians; surgeons or salespersons; the fact is that all of us are CEOs – managers of our own lives. In carrying out our own mission and vision, we have much to learn from adapting sound business principles of good strategy (being effective), disciplined operations (being efficient with resources, especially time) and inspired leadership (managing ourselves and motivating others). We are all CEOs – with the “E” standing for enlightened, enriched and empowered.

Feeling the urge to rewire, reboot and resurge? Thinking “maybe”? Still in the “no way” camp?

Here are three Power Lines to get you going!

1. ) Whether your response is “Yesssss,” “maybe,” or “not really, but I know I have to,” you very well may experience a desire to do something different in the second half of your life. It requires taking the time to be thoughtful in figuring out what you really want; taking stock, so you lead with your strengths; and taking care, so you don’t compromise any aspects of your health. Then, develop an action plan to accomplish concrete goals and execute within a sensible timetable.

2. ) Figure out which “station” you’re in before you set a destination or route (i.e. your “strategy” for getting there). Here’s how:

If you answered “yes” and are looking forward to a new career, hobby, relocation, etc., but are not exactly sure what or how, then you’re ready for a first-class ticket on the rewired-not-expired express. You’re in good company: millions of people over 50 are determined to mash the myths, slam the stereotypes and bash the biases that people over 50 are “winding down.” Yay, you!

Your route/strategy: Focus on what you really want, figure out what or who is keeping you from getting there, and whether it’s your own diversions, distractions, or other time management issues that are stalling you. Then write down all the things you want to do – in the next five years, one year, six months, all the way down to the current month, week, day and even hours. It doesn’t mean you become a robotic efficiency slave; but, without plans and to-lists, the unimportant “dandruff” in your life (emails, Facebook, Internet overload) will consume you, and you’ll have no time or energy left for what will get you ahead. Focus on “a-head” and get the “dandruff” under control!

If your replies were more tentative “maybes,” today there’s an abundance of “maps” – reputable information, sound research, and credible advice about why it’s beneficial to start something new and different over 50, and how to deal with roadblocks. Many people who can’t or won’t get going on something new and different focus too much on their weaknesses and external obstacles. Laser in on your strengths – what you do well that you actually like to do. Strengths help you maximize opportunities.

Your route/strategy: Think about whether the pursuits you’re engaged in now are holdovers from the first half of your life. If you’ve already accomplished those earlier goals, then you really need to consider new pursuits. Either you regenerate, or you stagnate! Whether your new pursuits focus on personal goals, career transition, hobbies or community service, always be developing new ways to utilize your brain and maintain your physical health. The more you do physically, the better your brain performs, and a positive mindset accelerates exercise benefits, leading to more energy and more power over your choices.

If your reaction to rewiring, rebooting and resurging veer into the “no way but I really have no choice” zone, for you I have a special affinity and empathy. In this economy, financial and health challenges seem insurmountable. In fact, if you have to go back to work for the first time in many years, or you need to start work in a new career, new industry or new city, then it’s understandable that you’re stressing out. If you’re dealing with divorce, the death or prolonged illness of a spouse or partner, or your own illness, and the financial challenges of all these stressors, then you’re definitely overloaded. You may be too over-committed to sort out all the things you feel you have to do, let alone pursue new and different things you’d like to do.

Your route/strategy: You are the very person who needs not to rush into anything without first making a concerted commitment to build in private time to take care of yourself, so you also figure out what you really need and want, and what resources you need to help you. You have to make the time and effort to eat right and fit in exercise, even if it’s a short walk. You have to pay careful attention to your finances. Carve out quiet time, to journal, read, jot notes on index cards or on your smart-phone, meditate, pray, get a massage, a manicure or some other respite from your stress. You owe it to yourself and others who rely on you, to take that time. These are all coping mechanisms – for you they may be exactly the new and different things you need the most.

3. ) Dare to “arrive” at your final destination: create your own “Power Structure” and “Bottom Line” for the second half of your life. We all know that “power structure” usually refers to hierarchy in an organization. Your life has a hierarchy too – the Before, the Now and the Future. The Now and the Future should rule your own bottom line. Here’s an exercise I use in my workshops. Using one sheet of 8½ X 11 sheet of paper and a pen (computers and pencils make you think too hard and edit too much), write the following:

— a. Top half: Write ONE (1) sentence about what you dreamed, desired and were good at as a child (ages 10-18);

— b. In the same half: write ONE more sentence: what you dreamed, desired, achieved and were good between the ages of 20 and 40;

— c. In the bottom half and back of the page, write as much as you want on: 1) Your vision of the “perfect life” – when you look back in your 80s and 90s; 2) What you’re dealing with now that is keeping you from that perfect vision; 3) What you think you need to power up in your life – i.e., to rewire and reboot – so you can resurge and drive that vision to reality.

That exercise alone can help you see the many strengths you have and appreciate the opportunities before you, so you get going on your action plan.

Rewiring, rebooting and resurging help those of us over 50 to explore, examine and expand – creating new ideas, new insights, new solutions and new horizons. What energizes me is that the alternate route – to assume that I’ve “had a good run but now I’m ‘done’” – is so demoralizing I can’t even think about stopping now. Most likely, neither can you.

Yes? Maybe? No? Here’s what I dare you to believe: The power is yours. Use it or lose it. You are your own power station, in control of your own power structure. You are the only one who can take stock, take action and take charge of the rest of your life. You are the only one who can take care of your health, by making time to think, pray, read for inspiration, meditate, exercise and eat right. And, you are the only one who can take concerted action to make a plan, set concrete goals, get rid of the distracting “dandruff” that’s holding you back, access the right resources, stick to a schedule, and advance that plan to make the second half of your life even more powerful than the first. Think ahead – I DARE you!

First, let’s define what “daring” and “fearless” mean when we’re talking about work. In today’s economy, being daring and fearless at work means knowing what your deal is, and how to deal. In my book and in my work, the word “Deal” refers to your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats – in fact, chapter 2 of the book is actually titled, “Deal.” Being daring and fearless means you lead with your strengths and opportunities, while keeping your weaknesses and threats in check as much as possible. If you’ve built your life (and/or career) around a certain routine or skill set, and you’ve been successful at it, it’s easy to see why you might want to stay in your current parking spot rather than deal with change, or seek out and negotiate a new deal. Being daring and fearless means you resist that inertia, because what you don’t do to bring about positive change in your deal, actually can hurt you. At some point, we all need to dare re-vamp our deal.

+ What are some ways women can enact their fearlessness at work? What should they not do?

The most important way that women can enact their daring and fearlessness at work is to cultivate influential and powerful people who can champion you – not just assist, mentor or advise you. You need to cultivate, secure and exchange your talents with those of sponsors – persons of power and influence who actively champion your mission and vision. If working under the tutelage of a sponsor seems counter-intuitive to being daring or fearless, please know that a sponsor with access to decision makers, financial resources, and proprietary information that you can’t access on your own can make you very daring and fearless indeed. Finding a sponsor involves seeking out someone who can motivate you to dare even further, which also means you have to learn about your sponsor’s priorities, motivations and needs, and where there are common ground and mutual benefit for both of you. Working with a sponsor is an exchange. It works best when there are complementary skills and talents at work.

As for what women should not do to enact their fearlessness at work:don’t confuse being daring and fearless with being reckless or ruthless. Our current economic state is grave evidence that morally or ethically suspect activity is not only reckless but can have dire consequences for your life, not just your career. Also, review the definition of the word “ruthless,” which has become a synonym for “driven” or “tenacious” – not an apt one. In that regard, know the values of the firm and industry in which you operate; then decide how you and they define “ruthless” and how that jibes with your own ethics, values, morals and ideals. Chapter 7 of my book, titled “Reason,” discusses this issue in great detail, especially how to protect yourself in situations where your definition of daring and fearless may conflict with that of your company or industry.

+ What are the benefits for working women to be more daring or fearless?

Demonstrating that you can 1) create, secure and manage new revenue streams, or 2) devise effective ways to reduce costs, will make you feel very daring and fearless. The benefits are that you increase your conviction, competence and confidence, becoming more daring and fearless. Being skilled at driving revenue or reducing costs makes you one of the most valuable persons at any organization, in your own business or in another organization, whether in the public, corporate or nonprofit sector. Increasing revenue and/or containing costs both involve extreme focus, research, empathy, and drive. Here’s why:

Focus,because to be daring and fearless you really have to become an expert in your industry, which also means you are constantly looking for new or better products, services or clients to explore.

Research, because you have to demonstrate and substantiate that your recommendations are based on real-world facts and quantitative metrics.

Empathy, because focus and research often start with listening, observing, or staying quiet, before peppering someone with questions and volunteering suggestions.

Drive, because sometimes you need to muster up, shore up and deploy different kinds and levels of energy and intellectual firepower than those within your usual comfort level or way of operating. It takes a lot of drive to adapt to the point where you are in fact daring and fearless – as opposed to reckless or compromised.

+ Where can women go for more info and resources on being daring/fearless at work (other than your site/book, which we will link to)?

Here are just a few of my favorite books about being daring and fearless, including how to negotiate a better deal and how to sell anyone almost anything.

1. Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful (Hyperion, 2007)

2. Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton, Now, Discover Your Strengths (Free Press, 2001)

3. David Allen, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (Penguin, 2002)

4. G. Richard Shell, Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People, (Viking, 2000)

5. Jeffrey J. Fox, How to Become a Rainmaker: The Rules For Getting and Keeping Customers and Clients (Hyperion, 2000)

6. Susan Jeffers, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway (1987)