Abstract
This study explored the intersection of midlife women, purpose-led career change, and well-being. Given the limited existing research, a qualitative approach was used to highlight the transformative potential within this area. Semi-structured interviews with six participants were employed and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The themes “Compromised Self,” reflecting the women’s initial unaligned career choices, and “True Self,” encapsulating the women’s journey towards purpose-led careers, were identified. Whilst challenging, the transition outcomes were promising, with career dissatisfaction making way for fulfillment, improved health, and contribution to others. Factors such as introspection, agency, and external support facilitated pathways to the new careers, with most transitioning into self-employment. The insights obtained contribute to the fields of purpose and career change and suggest that women’s midlife career change presents an untapped potential for personal fulfillment and societal sustainability.
Keywords
Introduction
As societies age and work lives extend, the pursuit of purpose in life may become central to sustaining health, meaning, and engagement. Over the past two decades, research on purpose in life has expanded substantially, demonstrating consistent positive associations with psychological well-being and health (Bronk et al., 2023; Damon, 2025; Ryff & Soren, 2023). Viktor Frankl, often regarded as the father of the field of purpose, conceptualized purpose as an existential anchor; a source of meaning that enables individuals to withstand life’s “destabilizing misfortunes” (Frankl, 1946). His vision resonates strongly in today’s volatile social and occupational climate, where purpose appears increasingly scarce (Soren & Ryff, 2023). Within the workplace, a key area for enactment of purpose, midlife women face a confluence of challenges: the burden of (often multigenerational) caregiving responsibilities, physiological and psychological transitions, and gendered ageism (Ryan & Gatrell, 2024; Wood et al., 2025). Midlife thus represents a crossroads between persisting in unsustainable roles and seeking renewal through meaningful work and life reorientation (Infurna et al., 2020; Walker, 2024). The choice between these two paths carries profound consequences not only for women themselves but also for their families, organizations, and society. Although research remains limited (Fouad et al., 2023), emerging studies suggest that career change may offer midlife women a path to renewed engagement, identity coherence, and well-being (Della-Rosa, 2024). The present study addresses this topic by exploring the intersection of midlife women, purpose-led career change, and well-being.
Purpose in Life, Construct, and Definition
Despite growing attention, scholarly literature remains divided regarding the conceptualization of purpose in life, leading to definitional ambiguity and inconsistent measurement (Bronk et al., 2023; Damon, 2025; Kashdan et al., 2024). A recent analysis identified more than a dozen distinct definitions (Bronk et al., 2023), reflecting three broader conceptualizations: purpose as a sense of purpose, purpose as a subcomponent of psychological well-being, or as a unique psychological capacity (Damon, 2025). The term has often been used interchangeably with the related concept of meaning in life, compounding conceptual confusion (Bronk et al., 2023). To resolve these ambiguities, recent advances have emphasized an integrative, rigorous, and comprehensive definition: “Purpose is an active commitment to accomplish an aim that is both meaningful to the self and of consequence to the world beyond the self” (Damon & Colby, 2022; Damon et al., 2024; Damon et al., 2003/2019). This definition combines long-term commitment, self-meaning, and self-transcendence, thereby providing conceptual clarity and enabling valid assessment (Damon, 2025; Kashdan et al., 2024). This focus on a transcendent and compelling life aim echoes the long-held perspective that purpose is the primary driver of psychological well-being and human flourishing (Frankl, 1946; Kashdan et al., 2024). Together, these perspectives position purpose as both a personal compass and a social contribution, linking inner coherence with outer relevance.
Purpose and Well-Being
A shared understanding of what purpose in life entails is vital, because having a purpose is consistently linked with outcomes of well-being and healthy aging; purpose has been associated with greater positive affect and life satisfaction (Gudmundsdottir et al., 2023), reduced risks of all-cause mortality (Cohen et al., 2016; Shiba et al., 2021), and lower incidence of chronic disease (Kim et al., 2022). It is further related to better maintenance of physical function (Chereches et al., 2025; Kim et al., 2017), cognitive health (Sutin et al., 2021b), healthier behaviors (Kim et al., 2020), and stronger social connections (Mei et al., 2021). The relationship between purpose and well-being often appears to be bidirectional with each reinforcing the other over time (Gudmundsdottir et al., 2023; Yemiscigil & Vlaev, 2021), although longitudinal data suggest purpose exerts a stronger predictive effect on subsequent health outcomes than the reverse (Chereches et al., 2025). Scholars continue to refine purpose as a dimension of psychological well-being (Damon, 2025; Ryff, 2024) and to address the gap between subjective, self-reported, and objective well-being indicators (Chereches et al., 2025). Nevertheless, the converging evidence that purpose is a modifiable well-being asset (Kim et al., 2022) underscores its importance for both public health and lifespan development, potentially extending individuals’ “healthspan” (Burrow, 2023; Zábó et al., 2025).
Purpose and Well-Being in Work and Career
For most adults, work represents the principal context through which life purpose is expressed (Soren & Ryff, 2023). The alignment of purpose with professional activity is encapsulated in the concept of Meaningful Work (MW), typically defined through three elements: significance, broader purpose, and self-realization (Martela & Pessi, 2018). Rooted in Eudaimonia, defined as flourishing through realizing one’s potential (Soren & Ryff, 2023), MW is centered on worthwhile contribution (Bailey et al., 2024). Debates continue about whether meaningfulness is purely subjective (Lysova et al., 2023; Michaelson et al., 2014) or whether it must meet normative standards (Michaelson, 2021; Mortimer, 2023). Yet, a substantial body of evidence supports its benefits: MW is associated with greater psychological well-being, personal growth, productivity, resilience, and reduced absenteeism (Allan et al., 2019; Sinisterra et al., 2025; Soren & Ryff, 2023). Moreover, for the individual, these positive outcomes can enhance other aspects of life, catalyzing an upward spiral (Allan et al., 2019). However, this spiral could also be reverted through exploitation and heightened stress when decent work is absent (Annison & Davidson, 2023; Soren & Ryff, 2023). Conversely, a lack of meaningfulness is associated with frustration, burnout, and emotional exhaustion (Aleksić et al., 2024; Annison & Davidson, 2023). While future research should further examine the potential negative outcomes, there is support for MW not only promoting workplace performance but also contributing to holistic well-being (Soren & Ryff, 2023).
Despite this potential, MW seems to be in short supply, reflected by workers’ persisting widespread dissatisfaction: 79% of the global workforce is estimated to be either not engaged or actively disengaged (Gallup, 2025), 59% feel stressed at work all the time, and 48% feel a lack of purpose (Indeed, 2024). This “meaning gap” has driven contemporary labor phenomena such as the Great Resignation and “Quiet Quitting” (Formica & Sfodera, 2022; Lysova et al., 2023; Nguyen, 2024). The collective dissatisfaction, coupled with events that force individuals to re-evaluate their core values (Akkermans et al., 2020), fuels a shift toward prioritizing internal success markers over external status or income (Hirschi et al., 2024). This shift strongly aligns with the Protean Career Orientation (PCO; Hall, 1976/1996, 2004), in which individuals define career success by internal values and self-direction. This concept has evolved with the dimensions of time and context through the Sustainable Career Theory (SCT; de Vos & van der Heijden, 2015; de Vos et al., 2020), which emphasizes the long-term balance of health, happiness, and productivity as key indicators of career sustainability. MW thus represents a dynamic experience requiring continual reflection, adaptability, and value alignment (Lysova et al., 2023).
While the pursuit of meaningful and sustainable work requires individual agency and targets subjective well-being, the capacity to achieve this depends not only on individual agency but also on systemic conditions. The Sustainable Career Ecosystem Theory (SCET; Donald et al., 2024; Donald, 2023a) integrates SCT with the broader Career Ecosystem Theory (CET; Baruch, 2015; Baruch & Rousseau, 2019), framing careers as interdependent systems that evolve through interaction between individuals, organizations, and societal structures. SCET highlights that sustainable careers yield positive outcomes for all levels of the system: individuals, organizational, and societal (Delva et al., 2021; Donald et al., 2024). The framework also recognized the influence of macro-level changes and structural systems that profoundly impact careers. An example of this is the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), which simultaneously threatens and enhances work (Bankins et al., 2024; Hirschi, 2018; Smids et al., 2020). Importantly, SCET also underscores the role of career practitioners as facilitators who help individuals navigate transitions and meaning making (Donald & Manville, 2023). SCET thus underscores the dynamic character of contemporary careers, while expanding the notion of MW from individual aspiration to a collective sustainable concern.
Women, Meaningful Work, and Well-Being
Although contemporary career models increasingly integrate contextual dimensions such as purpose and sustainability, women’s career development theorization remains limited and insufficiently consolidated within the broader career field (Betz, 2023; Fouad et al., 2023).
Persistent gender disparities, including limited advancement opportunities, work–family conflict, and enduring structural barriers, continue to shape women’s work experiences (Kossek et al., 2021; Torres et al., 2024). These challenges force women’s careers onto alternative, less linear trajectories (Torres et al., 2024), often requiring strategies such as career breaks or reduced work hours (Kossek et al., 2021). Consequently, women report lower perceived career opportunity and autonomy (Pace & Sciotto, 2021) and remain underrepresented in leadership roles (Hanek & Garcia, 2022). Notably, women report greater work meaningfulness than men (Burbano et al., 2024), driven by their selection into beneficence or prosocial occupations and reflecting an orientation toward meaningfulness that aligns with traditional nurturing gender identities (Hanek & Garcia, 2022). However, this non-monetary advantage fails to reduce the substantial gender wage gap (Burbano et al., 2024). This persistent contradiction is referred to as the meaning paradox, an expression of the broader gender well-being paradox (Bryson & Blanchflower, 2024; Burbano et al., 2024; Kaiser et al., 2024). For women, perceived work-life balance predicts health more strongly than career advancement (Pace & Sciotto, 2021), suggesting that purpose and well-being are inseparable in women’s career development. These gendered complexities intensify in midlife, when professional, relational, and biological transitions converge (Walker, 2024).
Midlife Women
Midlife, typically defined as ages 40 to 60 (Epstein et al., 2023; Galambos et al., 2024), constitutes a pivotal developmental stage shaping trajectories into later adulthood (Lachman et al., 2015), profoundly influencing subsequent health, wealth, and well-being (Infurna et al., 2020; Walker, 2024). For women, this phase brings overlapping physiological transitions (e.g., menopause), identity renegotiation, and intensified caregiving responsibilities as part of the “sandwich generation” (Galambos et al., 2024; Ryan & Gatrell, 2024). These intersecting demands, coupled with gendered ageism and organizational devaluation, can produce chronic overload and distress yet often remain invisible due to stigma (Brewis et al., 2025; Qazi et al., 2024). When such pressures coincide with misaligned work, women risk burnout or disengagement (Verburgh et al., 2024). Indeed, scholars have reported this cohort’s alarming levels of distress: 76% of midlife women report overwork, 80% role imbalance, and 78% at least mild depression (Qazi et al., 2024). However, midlife also represents a potential turning point for psychological growth and generativity (Galambos et al., 2024; Walker, 2024). By leveraging accumulated life experience, self-knowledge, and agency, women can use this stage to realign work with intrinsic values like purpose and authenticity (Deshmukh & Sharma, 2025; Wood et al., 2025). Supporting women’s midlife strengths is therefore vital not only for individual well-being but also for organizational effectiveness and broader societal sustainability (Epstein et al., 2023; Ryan & Gatrell, 2024).
Midlife Women’s Career Change
An increasing number of midlife women are redefining this life stage as a turning point for career transformation, driven by intrinsic motivations for purpose and well-being (Kopanidis & Reid, 2023; Maree & Nortjé, 2023). Yet, empirical research on this phenomenon remains scarce (Fouad et al., 2023). Della-Rosa’s (2024) study of skilled immigrant women in Canada found that motivation, determination, and resilience enabled successful career change. Participants defined “doing well” primarily through feelings of purpose and satisfaction, with meaning-seeking also motivating their transitions, suggesting the role of purpose as both a catalyst for change and an outcome. This drive for transformation, often catalyzed by profound life events, is mirrored by qualitative findings, such as those of Woodhouse and Yates (2020), which revealed that a breast cancer diagnosis acted as a catalyst for affected women to pursue authenticity in new careers. Reflecting the specialized context of such findings, Della-Rosa (2024) specifically acknowledged the role of immigrant status and recommended replication in non-immigrant contexts. Other context-specific studies have highlighted psychological barriers (Robbins, 2021), gendered identity shifts (VanPutte, 2022), and cross-cultural differences (Kim et al., 2024; Visentini et al., 2023). Given the structural barriers midlife women face and the societal value of their participation, further inquiry into purpose-led career change seems both timely and necessary. Deshmukh and Sharma (2025) underscored this in their recent study on purposeful midlife career change, by addressing the need for subsequent gender-specific analyses to disentangle the distinct experiences of each gender.
This Study
Building on these insights, the present qualitative study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA; Smith, 1996) to explore how six midlife women experienced purpose-led career change and how this process shaped their well-being. Guided by an interpretive, experience-centered approach, the study examined how participants made sense of their shifting purpose, identity, and fulfillment during a pivotal stage of life. The central research question was: How do midlife women experience their purpose-led career change, specifically in terms of well-being, across the career change transition?
Method
Participants
Participants’ Demographics
Note. Years = the number of years ago that the career change took place.
Design
This study used an interpretive qualitative design to describe, understand, and interpret the lived experience of purposeful career change in midlife (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). Guided by a phenomenological framework (Creswell, 2012), the study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to operationalize this approach and to examine participants’ lived experiences and meaning making in relation to vocational development (Larkin et al., 2021). IPA was chosen over other qualitative methodologies because it foregrounds participants’ subjective sense-making and the psychological meanings of experience, while acknowledging the researcher’s interpretative role (Larkin et al., 2021). The study adopted a double-hermeneutic stance: participants made sense of their experiences, and the researcher interpreted those sense-making accounts (Larkin et al., 2021). Semi-structured, open-ended interview questions balanced focused themes with flexibility, allowing participants to elaborate on their experiences. Follow-up questions deepened themes and provided a reflective space. This approach allowed the researcher to engage with the subjective meaning of participants’ experiences, while acknowledging the double stance.
Materials
The interview schedule included eight socio-demographic items and nineteen open-ended questions. Questions were informed by IPA studies on career change (e.g., Ahn et al., 2017) but tailored to focus specifically on purpose-led career change in midlife and gendered experience. Pilot testing with one participant led to minor adjustments (e.g., adding an item on initial career motivations). The final structure included sections on “career transition” (e.g., “As you think of your career now, compared to your previous career(s), in what way(s) has it changed?”), “meaning and purpose” (e.g., “How do you perceive your sense of meaning and purpose in the context of your career change?”), and “beyond career” (e.g., “What has been the impact of the career change in other areas of your life?”).
Procedure
After contacting the researcher by WhatsApp or e-mail, potential participants received an information sheet detailing the study’s objectives and had the opportunity to ask questions before signing the consent form. Interviews were scheduled at participants’ convenience and were conducted in March–April 2024, either in-person or via Zoom. Interviews lasted 49–78 minutes (M = 62.8). Participants were informed of their right to withdraw at any time and were invited to add post-interview comments and reflections. Following each interview, participants received a debrief sheet and were offered a summary of the findings on study completion.
Ethics and Data Protection
The study received ethical approval from Arden University’s Research Ethics Committee on 5 March 2024. Procedures complied with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the UK Data Protection Act (2018), ensuring confidentiality through password-protected data storage. Audio files and transcripts were stored on password-protected devices. Identifying information was replaced with pseudonyms and removed from analytic materials. Participants were provided with contact details for emotional support services as part of the debriefing process.
Reflexivity and Positionality
Both authors identify as midlife women. The first author was transitioning from corporate management toward psychology at the time of data collection and remained aware of the potential influence of her background, while adopting an open stance toward participants’ accounts, treating each as unique and contextually situated. She has been a long-term resident of Spain and Portugal without holding nationality of either country, providing contextual familiarity while maintaining sensitivity to cultural perspectives. The researcher (first author) maintained reflexive notes throughout data collection and analysis to acknowledge and bracket preconceptions.
Data Analysis
The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis followed IPA’s standard phases, beginning with an immersive examination of each transcript. An ideographic approach was applied, emphasizing the individual experiences (Smith & Nizza, 2022). The hermeneutic circle was used for reflexive interpretation, acknowledging the researcher’s role. Meaning units were identified and grouped into themes which were examined for convergence and divergence to capture commonalities and differences among participants. These were then organized into broader experiential categories which, supported by quotes (Smith & Nizza, 2022), culminated in a narrative synthesis of participant experiences and researcher interpretations.
Results
Group Experiential Themes and Sub-Themes
Group Experiential Theme 1: Compromised Self
Subtheme 1.1: “Falling into a career”
For most women (n = 5), initial careers were unplanned; they had “fallen into” their roles and remained for many years, even decades. Jolene began a summer job in tourism at 17 and stayed for 29 years. Reese, who initially aspired to study sports, pursued management instead after parental influence and soon realized it “wasn’t my thing at all” yet continued in the field for 26 years. Similarly, Elisabeth, a trained pedagogue, accepted a tech job she never intended to keep: At that moment I said, I can’t say no to the job offer. It’s not my thing, but I’ll stay here until I get tired and find something else. And with that, 25 years passed by.
Despite this misalignment, most participants reported early satisfaction derived from financial benefits, professional advancement, or travel opportunities. Vanessa emphasized the “financial security and fringe benefits” of her career in banking, while Reese associated money with autonomy and independence. Elisabeth reflected: It wasn’t my place, but it was a very well-paid job at that time, very well-paid. And not very monotonous.
These accounts illustrate how initial career satisfaction stemmed largely from extrinsic rewards such as stability, income, and social recognition, while deeper value alignment seemed to remain absent.
Subtheme 1.2: Life happens to me until…
Over time, dissatisfaction accumulated. For some, boredom, obsolescence, or toxic environments played a role; for others, gendered pressures intensified the strain. Marianne, a chemist, felt confined by the accommodating role she assumed after childbirth, while Vanessa struggled to reconcile work and parenting. Financial comfort and sunk costs kept most (n = 4) from leaving, despite growing distress. The consequences were severe—exhaustion, burnout, insomnia, headaches, and a pervasive sense of “wasting my time.” Reese captured this tension vividly: I’d get to the end of the day, coming home all black and blue, and I didn’t want anything else except from being on the couch, but I kind of had financial comfort, right? I’d get to the end of the month, and everything was fine . . .
Her words reveal how financial stability can simultaneously cushion and entrap, sustaining careers that erode well-being. Such rationalizations reinforced paralysis, as cognitive dissonance between external success and internal dissatisfaction deepened.
Turning points emerged through personal or situational crises. For some, these were planned (through voluntary severance), while for others, unanticipated shocks—divorce, menopause, bereavement, layoffs, depression, or the COVID-19 pandemic—triggered critical introspection. Marianne, reflecting after her divorce at 42 on what had seemed her chartered life path, realized: If I’m lucky, I have another 40 years to live. I didn’t know the what nor the how, but I knew I wouldn’t continue the same path.
For Linda, several events converged: menopausal anger, her mother’s death, and the sudden passing of a younger colleague. Returning to work afterward, she described a moment of reckoning: I just thought, “What am I doing here?” And then there was Covid . . . I was sitting at home working on useless stuff for my company, and I just thought: “This is it.”
While emotionally demanding, these life events became catalysts rather than crises—sparking a process of re-evaluation and ultimately, transformation.
Group Experiential Theme 2: True Self
Subtheme 2.1: Breaking the cycle and growing pains
For two women who accepted severance packages, the transition appeared relatively straightforward; for the remaining four, the process was turbulent and marked by emotional and practical challenges. All invested in additional education or training, while financial strain and temporary dependence on savings or partners affected their sense of autonomy and security. Despite these pressures, a newly awakened enthusiasm propelled them toward their desired careers, even as financial insecurity, self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and in part their companies, such as Linda’s (“Is it about money? No, it’s not about more money”), pulled them back. Although their career shifts felt organic, taking the decision, and transitioning from decision to implementation took therefore “more time and was more challenging” than expected. Gradual transitions, part-time overlap, or cautious experimentation characterized most journeys, while one participant described a—later regretted—“leap of faith.”
Support systems played a dual role: while partners were often encouraging, close friends or relatives sometimes expressed skepticism or dismissal. Reese recalled hearing, “Now she wants to be a personal trainer,” and Vanessa interpreted the well-meant, “You are so courageous,” as implying naivety. Marianne reflected on her family’s discomfort: They’d rather not know because they’ll worry . . . there are loyalties that have been broken. There’s movement in my family of public servants that I’ve made. This of course generates a reorganization of the system.
Her account illustrates how career change can disrupt expectations from family and friends and can elicit subtle social sanctions. As a result, participants increasingly turned to professional help, such as therapy or coaching, to navigate their transitions. Marianne, who trained as a Gestalt therapist after having received this therapy herself, explained: I started to understand about myself and removing masks and realizing a lot of things. And then my life started to change. And my relationship with my children improved. And then I wanted to follow that path. How could I not do this with more people?
Her words capture how professional support facilitated reconnection with self and catalyzed purposeful career growth.
Subtheme 2.2: Coming home to myself, “improving the world from my square meter”
The women’s new careers brought a sense of fulfillment grounded in authenticity and alignment. They described “tossing the façade away,” “feeling connected with myself and others,” and “valuing who I am.” Confidence, intuition, and courage had grown, while burnout symptoms had disappeared. Motivation had shifted from extrinsic rewards to intrinsic meaning and as careers aligned with personal values, participants described a renewed sense of coherence and vitality. Purpose extended beyond individual gain to encompass family, community, and broader social contribution. Participants described purpose as the “why” behind their work and meaning as the value derived from it. All expressed a wish to “make the world a better place” within their immediate sphere of influence. Elisabeth, now in mental health work, reflected on “working humbly on emotional well-being when there is so much overwhelm,” while Reese described her fitness classes as spaces of healing: “People are in need of something that I have to give—it’s energy, it’s positivity.” Linda added, “We can all live our purpose in small, small ways; we should all be in the Extinction Rebellion.”
Together, these reflections revealed a deep sense of alignment with self, vocation, and society—an experience of “coming home” through work imbued with meaning and purpose.
Subtheme 2.3: Entrepreneurship
Five of the six participants transitioned from corporate employment to self-employment. This was not a premeditated decision but rather an outcome of aligning work with new values and priorities. The autonomy of entrepreneurship suited their desire for balance and self-direction in midlife. As Linda summarized: I have office hours, maybe some weekend work, but my priority has become sport, exercise and looking after my health in midlife.
Yet, self-employment brought its own challenges. Many struggled to view themselves as business owners, finding it difficult to “expose themselves” through marketing, contrary to early social conditioning that discouraged self-promotion. Despite this, entrepreneurship fostered personal growth: Reese developed self-pride, while Linda and Vanessa reported greater agency and empowerment. As Vanessa expressed, “It gave freedom—but it also meant you couldn’t blame anybody else.”
Vanessa alone contemplated the option of returning to corporate work, explaining: It’s not, now you work with mothers, tomorrow you sell cars, no; I’m an entrepreneur because I want to work on parenthood and there isn’t a parenthood company yet . . . This one-woman show for me is very challenging.
Her reflection conveys both the empowerment and isolation of solo entrepreneurship. Financial constraints were also noted, with some earning half their previous income and “no paid downtime or bonuses.” Still, participants described the change as very worthwhile. As Reese concluded: Without a doubt. For the happiness I have, and for the light at the end of the tunnel that I saw, you know?
Subtheme 2.4: Being a purpose-led re-careering woman in midlife is an advantage
All participants viewed midlife as an advantage in their career transitions, citing maturity, perspective, and a clearer understanding of life’s finitude. They noted that “certain things, emotionally and mentally, just crack open at a certain age,” prompting reflection and renewed intentionality. Observing peers who had become cynical, they instead sought fulfillment, happiness, and contribution. Previous careers were reframed as valuable preparation. Reese reflected: Maybe it took me all these years to have the maturity and to know myself better to give . . . I have an advantage over many of my colleagues. Because of the baggage, the open mind. I can combine several things, and I can feel the pain of the people.
Most participants had partners (n = 5) and children (n = 4) and were the primary caregivers in their households. While all agreed that purpose-driven change applies to both genders, they felt that women were often more attuned to it. They attributed this partly to cultural norms, noting men’s greater attachment to status and emotional restraint. As Marianne explained: A radical life step, such as career change, requires sustaining an inner void . . . women can take this step with more determination because they have many voids to sustain in life.
Her words may be interpreted as women having more resilience, possibly in part developed through their role as caretakers.
Reflecting on their journeys, participants expressed that they wished they had known themselves earlier or begun preparing sooner, yet none regretted their pasts. They encouraged others to “find their passion,” “start a side hustle,” and “not be afraid of change,” as “it is in the change where the learning lies.” Vanessa’s reflection following her father’s death encapsulated the sense of urgency midlife brings: This also gave me a sense of finality. We only have the now. It changed the concept of purpose a lot. I would say it’s an urgency. It’s very urgent for me to be living my purpose.
This final subtheme captures how midlife, rather than being a limitation, became a source of clarity, strength, and authenticity that underpinned the women’s transformation.
As this study focused exclusively on women, the findings report female perspectives on purpose-led transitions. Any gendered experiences raised reflect the women’s own interpretations, with comparative claims regarding men reserved for consideration in the Discussion drawing on broader literature.
Discussion
This study explored how midlife women experienced their purpose-led career change, specifically in relation to well-being, throughout the transition process. The findings reveal that career change in midlife is rarely a discrete event but a developmental sequence in which disruption, reflection, and renewed agency gradually restore authenticity and eudaimonic well-being. Two experiential themes—“Compromised Self” and “True Self”—captured that movement from externally rewarded (apparent) stability to intrinsically meaningful, value-aligned work. The participants’ narratives mirror a broader social phenomenon: as contemporary careers become less linear and more self-directed, women in midlife are using transition not only to adapt to change but also to reconstruct identity and purpose, and thereby, well-being.
At career entry, most participants described having “fallen into” their first jobs. Their initial satisfaction stemmed from financial security, social status, and early success, all contributing to hedonic well-being and sustained by external validation. Yet, beneath these positive markers lay a sense of disconnection. This duality aligns with recent research indicating that financial and status incentives may foster short-term satisfaction but seldom predict long-term fulfillment (Houlfort et al., 2022; Steger et al., 2012). Although external markers are salient for both women and men early in their careers, men tend to maintain a stronger external focus, reflecting traditional socialization that emphasizes income and status attainment (LeFebvre & Huta, 2021). In contrast, women often encounter socialized expectations and limited structural support that constrain early career choices, fostering pragmatic yet misaligned career paths (Fouad et al., 2023; Kossek et al., 2021). For participants in the present study, early achievements masked an absence of purpose, illustrating how hedonic well-being can obscure deeper eudaimonic deficits.
As years passed, misalignment led to career inaction—staying despite dissatisfaction. Recent evidence suggests that “career stuckness” results from a combination of psychological cost–benefit calculations, fear of instability, and socio-economic pressures (De Vos et al., 2020; Verbruggen & de Vos, 2020). For women, this paralysis is amplified by gendered norms of responsibility and care (Mainiero & Gibson, 2018; Pace & Sciotto, 2021). Research indicates that the conflict between family and work life is often a greater problem for women due to cultural norms and gender biases in the workplace (Pace & Sciotto, 2021). Whereas men often interpret plateauing as a threat to competence, women may internalize it as duty—to family, employer, or financial security, associated with work-life balance (Mainiero & Gibson, 2018). The participants’ descriptions of burnout, fatigue, and emotional numbness illustrate the health costs of such endurance, aligning with findings that lack of meaningful work is associated with negative mental health outcomes (Aleksić et al., 2024; Annison & Davidson, 2023) and disengagement (Sinisterra et al., 2025). Their narratives show how structural inequities translate into embodied strain: women’s loyalty and adaptability—often celebrated traits—can become mechanisms of self-suppression, forcing adaptations such as role sacrifice or psychological role withdrawal in the face of structural barriers and the “ideal worker model” (Kossek et al., 2021).
Disruption entered through both voluntary and involuntary career shocks, such as divorce, menopause, bereavement, and layoffs. These events functioned as what Akkermans et al. (2020) term “triggering shocks,” defined as acute experiences that compel re-evaluation of priorities. Such shocks initiated liminality: a psychological space where old identities dissolve before new ones are consolidated (Ibarra, 2023; Ibarra & Obodaru, 2016). Participants oscillated between fear and liberation, describing feelings of social invisibility yet also of possibility. The lack of understanding from close others deepened this liminality. Family and friends often perceived the change as impractical or naïve, reflecting a social invalidation that Ibarra (2023) identified as common when one’s new identity threatens shared norms. This absence of emotional validation undermined well-being precisely when support was most needed, highlighting that career change is not only individual but also relational. Counseling, therapy, and mentoring thus became critical “holding environments” (Ibarra & Obodaru, 2016) that buffered uncertainty and enabled sense-making.
Following disruption, participants entered a period of deep introspection. Through reflection and professional guidance, they began reconstructing meaning—distilling what truly mattered. This aligns with recent studies positioning midlife as a key stage for identity renegotiation and purpose renewal (Maree & Nortjé, 2023). However, reflecting gendered pathways, for women, this period often resolves the dichotomy between their relational nurturing roles and self-fulfillment (Maree & Nortjé, 2023). This turning point offers a sharply focused sense of self and clarity about new goals (Woodhouse & Yates, 2020), which for women provides the justification needed to step out of their life and career molds. The process was iterative: as women clarified values, they experienced emotional turbulence yet increasing coherence. The emotional struggle reflects the intense identity work required in liminal phases (Ibarra, 2023), involving a period of exploration and delayed commitment necessary for the crystallization of desire and movement toward a renewed self-construction (Ibarra & Obodaru, 2016; Maree & Nortjé, 2023). Purpose thus became both compass and coping resource. The participants’ narratives of “coming home to myself” exemplify the eudaimonic pathway (Steger et al., 2012) of growth through authenticity and contribution.
Midlife appeared to facilitate this process, granting individuals a blend of maturity and urgency. With expanded perspective and awareness of finitude, participants prioritized significance over ambition, supporting thereby Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (SST; Carstensen et al., 1999). This shift is underpinned by evidence that midlife individuals increasingly prioritize emotional meaning and flexible goal adjustment over rigid performance metrics (Henning et al., 2022). While this preference for meaning is key for both genders (Maree & Nortjé, 2023), men often demonstrate a higher attachment to status and experience a temporary drop in the pursuit of authentic goals around midlife (LeFebvre & Huta, 2021), whereas women demonstrate higher resilience developed by navigating the inherent dichotomy between self-ambition and their prominent relational nurturing roles (Maree & Nortjé, 2023). Importantly, the women’s past professional life was treated not as a burden but as an asset, leveraging accumulated experience and building on prior skills. Gray and Smith (2020) have also found the application of previous skills in new work to be determinant for success, allowing the women to adopt a more flexible, sustainable, and protean career path (Denyer & Rowson, 2024).
When participants realigned work with inner values, finding authenticity and fulfillment, they described profound gains in vitality, confidence, and psychological well-being. These findings extend support for meaningful work (MW) enhancing overall well-being while lowering psychological distress (Allan et al., 2019; Lysova et al., 2023). Of the three interlocking components that MW theory posits—significance, self-realization, and greater broader purpose (Martela & Pessi, 2018)—their earlier jobs provided only significance, mainly through extrinsic markers, whereas their new careers integrated all three components. Importantly, purpose was consistently self-transcendent, centered on creating value for others through teaching, healing, and coaching. Such contribution aligns with the “beyond-the-self” dimension identified by Damon et al., (2003/2019) and the Greater Good (GG) motivation of MW and is empirically linked to well-being gains. The improvement in physical and emotional health after transition echoes recent longitudinal findings that purpose in life predicts better functional aging (Kim et al., 2022; Shiba et al., 2021). For these women, meaning was not an abstract construct but a lived, health-enhancing force. Their narratives exemplify how agency can re-establish equilibrium after years of strain—a transformation from merely coping to thriving.
Unexpectedly, five of six participants became self-employed, viewing entrepreneurship as a natural container for their purpose. Their ventures mirrored evidence on purpose-driven entrepreneurship among women in midlife (Gray & Smith, 2020) and older, self-employed women prioritizing meaningfulness and self-integrity in their work (Lindstrom et al., 2022). While offering flexibility and agency, self-employment exposed them to uncertainty, self-promotion anxiety, and income reduction, for some considerable. These ambivalences parallel recent observations that women’s entrepreneurship combines empowerment with precarity (Shah et al., 2024). And whereas the high prevalence of solo employment is often associated with the low threshold for market entry in modern economies through the disentangling force of digitalization (Salamzadeh et al., 2024), the solo structure continues to reflect structural gender-specific challenges, as women are significantly less likely to secure external funding (Wang et al., 2022). Still, participants viewed the trade-off as worthwhile, aligning with empirical evidence that the intrinsic motivation for greater freedom and personal fulfillment associated with self-employment leads individuals to prioritize high autonomy and less stressful working lives despite lower income and financial uncertainty (Nikolova et al., 2023).
The participants’ choices align with Sustainable Career Ecosystem Theory (Donald et al., 2024), which emphasizes that individual sustainability arises from harmony between personal values, career structures, and societal systems. Entrepreneurship allowed such harmony by removing organizational barriers that had previously constrained meaning, thereby affording the solo self-employed the benefit of autonomy (Nikolova et al., 2023).
Across all phases, purpose functioned as the central axis linking identity, agency, and well-being. The transition from “Compromised Self” to “True Self” encapsulates a life trajectory consistent with current lifespan theories: midlife as a pivot from externally defined success toward intrinsic, relational, and prosocial goals (Walker, 2024). The findings reinforce recent calls to re-conceptualize midlife not as crisis but as opportunity for psychological renewal (Galambos et al., 2024). Yet they also expose systemic gaps: traditional organizations and social networks often fail to support women’s exploratory transitions, leaving them to navigate meaning reconstruction largely alone. In Ibarra’s (2023) terms, society offers few legitimate “scripts” for radical midlife re-authoring, especially for women balancing care and work. Establishing cultural and institutional “holding environments” for such redefinition could prevent burnout, foster engagement, and contribute to collective sustainability.
Implications
The findings suggest multilayered implications for policymakers, organizations, career practitioners, and individuals. For governments and policymakers, fostering lifelong career adaptability is essential as populations age and retirement ages rise. Policies supporting midlife re-skilling, affordable coaching, and entrepreneurship programs for women could enhance both well-being and economic resilience. Integrating purpose and sustainability into labor strategies aligns with the European Commission’s agenda for active aging and inclusive work.
For organizations, the findings highlight the value of meaningful work in retention and performance. Employers can cultivate purpose by offering flexible pathways for internal mobility, mentoring programs pairing midlife employees with younger staff, and sabbaticals for reflection or retraining. Such initiatives align with Sustainable Career Ecosystem principles that emphasize mutual benefit among individual, organization, and society (Donald et al., 2024).
For career practitioners, the results reinforce the importance of addressing existential as well as practical dimensions of transition. Practitioners should help clients explore coherence between values and professional roles, normalize liminality, and build self-compassion during identity reconstruction. Integrating narrative and meaning-centered approaches (e.g., Wong et al., 2021) can support clients in transforming disruption into growth.
For individuals, the study underscores that purpose-led career change is both challenging and deeply rewarding. Midlife can serve as a developmental window for reflection and recalibration. Cultivating agency through small experiments, seeking professional guidance, and engaging with supportive communities can ease transition and enhance well-being.
Limitations and Future Research
This exploratory qualitative study was based on a small, purposive sample of six participants residing in Spain and Portugal. While consistent with IPA methodology, the findings cannot be generalized. Cultural factors such as high uncertainty avoidance and family-centric values in Iberian societies (Hofstede, 2011) may have shaped both the women’s endurance in previous careers and their later search for meaning. Future studies could include comparative samples across cultural contexts to examine how societal norms influence purpose-led transitions.
Moreover, most participants were financially relatively stable and highly educated, possibly facilitating agency. Research involving women with fewer resources or intersecting identities (e.g., single parents) would deepen understanding of barriers and supports. Longitudinal designs could assess whether the well-being gains observed persist over time, and mixed-methods approaches could quantify psychological outcomes such as vitality or life satisfaction. Finally, given that most participants transitioned to self-employment, future research could investigate the sustainability of purpose-driven entrepreneurship across genders and life stages.
Conclusion
This study explored how midlife women experienced purpose-led career change and its impact on well-being throughout the transition process. The findings depict a developmental journey from externally rewarded careers and emotional depletion toward authenticity, contribution, and psychological flourishing. Disruption, though painful, became a catalyst for growth; reflection and meaning making restored coherence and agency. Purpose emerged as both guide and outcome, reflecting a dynamic process through which work became an expression of self and service. By illuminating how purpose-aligned transitions enhance eudaimonic well-being, this research contributes to emerging scholarship on meaningful and sustainable careers. It calls for organizational, educational, and societal systems to recognize midlife as a vital phase for renewal rather than decline. Supporting women in these transitions benefits not only individual health but also collective sustainability, as thriving individuals create thriving communities. Purpose, then, indeed, as one participant expressed, “is very urgent”—not only for women seeking fulfillment but also for societies striving toward humane and meaningful work.
Footnotes
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the participants for sharing their experiences so generously and Arden University for the support received.
Ethical Considerations
The study was approved by Arden University's Research Ethics Committee on 5 March 2024.
Consent to Participate
All participants gave written consent for participation in the study and for the publication of the studies’ results.
Author Contributions
This article was adapted from a MSc Psychology dissertation by the first author who is accountable for all aspects of the work. Both the original dissertation and the article adaptation were revised critically for important intellectual content by the second author who approved the final version of the article for publication.
Funding
The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Data Availability Statement
The data that supports the findings of this study are available within the article (and its supplementary material).