I’ve been noticing something lately.

The women I work with aren’t asking me how to get promoted anymore. They’re asking much bigger questions.

“Do I want to keep climbing?”
“Have I still got another big chapter in me?”
“Do I want to build a business?”
“Should I pursue a board career?”

Or sometimes, and this one’s my favourite because at least it’s honest…

“What do I want to be when I grow up?” In their 50s, no less 🤣 

Every time I hear it, I think the same thing. This isn’t about their next job. It’s about their next decade.

The crossroads nobody warns you about

For most of our careers, life moves at us. We build careers, raise kids, pay mortgages, support ageing parents who insist they’re “fine” while ringing four times a day. We say yes because we need the money. We say no because someone has to be home. Everyone else’s needs got there first, and stayed.

Years pass. You barely notice.

Then something shifts. The kids need you a bit less. The mortgage stops looking like a life sentence. You’ve earned the credibility, built the influence, and picked up a level of judgement you simply didn’t have twenty years ago.

And for the first time in decades, you’ve got space to ask the questions you’ve been quietly postponing.

What do I actually want?
And who do I really want to be now?

This decade is different

I don’t think our 50s are about winding down. I think they’re about waking up.

Not because life gets easier. Because many women finally have the thing they’ve been missing for years: perspective.

You stop chasing titles just because they’re bigger. You get more interested in impact than impressing people. You know your strengths, your values, what drains you, and what you’re no longer willing to put up with.

You’re not building a career because it’s “what comes next.”

You’re building a life which is a different conversation. And if I’m honest a much more interesting one.

Don’t drift into your next decade

The biggest risk isn’t that women lack ambition. It’s that they’re so busy responding to whatever lands in their inbox, they never stop to ask whether any of it is taking them where they actually want to go.

Drift is sneaky. 

One more promotion, one more restructure, one more project you said yes to because saying no felt like too much admin.

Before you know it, another decade’s gone, not because you decided, but because you never carved out the space to decide.

That’s why I’m so fascinated by Power Span™: the period of life during which women’s influence, contribution, earning power and ability to shape what happens next keep expanding. Not because you’re grinding harder. Because you’re getting more intentional.

Define your next act

I don’t think your next decade should happen to you. It deserves the same thought and strategy you’ve given every major career decision you’ve made, and probably a decent glass of wine while you’re at it.

The women who build extraordinary next chapters in their 50s rarely stumble into them. They pause. They ask better questions than “what’s next on the calendar.” 

Then they decide what they want before life quietly decides for them.

That’s exactly why I created the Define Your Next Act Retreat

Because I don’t think the biggest career decision you’ll make is your next job.

I think it’s whether you drift into your next decade, or you choose it.

Your thoughts? Drop a note and let me know.

Good news! Byron is now fully booked – so we’re creating a waitlist for Oct/Nov. Request an invitation here.

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