At mid-career, not all endings come from things going wrong.

Sometimes, on the surface, everything still looks fine.

The role is stable. The work is good. You’ve built experience, reputation, and a sense of identity around what you do.

And yet, underneath that, something begins to feel different.

Less energising. Less meaningful. Less alive.

In this episode, I explore the idea of necessary endings. The kind of endings that don’t come from failure or crisis, but from growth.

Because one of the most difficult realisations at mid-career is that you can outgrow something that has served you well.

Drawing on ideas from Necessary Endings, I talk about why endings can feel so difficult, particularly when we’ve invested years, or even decades, into a role, identity, or way of working.

We explore the emotional and psychological side of endings, including the role of identity, expectation, and the pressure to continue with something simply because it’s working.

I also share a simple but powerful question to help you reflect on your current situation:

“If I weren’t already doing this… would I start it today?”

Alongside this, we look at how to distinguish between a temporary dip and something that has genuinely run its course, and why creating space can be an important part of what comes next.

This episode is also a more personal one.

After 150 episodes, I share my decision to pause the podcast for a while, and reflect on what a more sustainable, human-scale way of working might look like at this stage of life.

If you’ve been sensing that something in your career or life may be coming to an end, this episode offers a thoughtful way to reflect on that, without pressure to act immediately.

Sometimes the most important step is simply acknowledging the truth of where you are.

Thanks for listening!

 If you need support with your career:
call me on 07833 593875
email [email protected]
visit www.bravocoaching.co.uk