Picture this: You smash your performance targets, start counting down to that juicy bonus and some actual downtime with the family. Everything’s sweet. Then boom, your project’s canned. Worse, your entire role is “disestablished” (which is HR-speak for, “Don’t come in on Monday.").

Just a week before that, you caught yourself wondering if this career is actually what you signed up for. But nope you talked yourself out of it. “Be sensible. It’s just common sense to keep going. Too late to change now. Safer to stick with what you know.”

Years ago, I was Executive Producer of a primetime current affairs show. We hit a rough patch no big deal, that’s telly, right? The next thing I know, my boss calls me in (never a good sign) the show’s cancelled. Just like that. Boom. Done. Someone else’s decision flips your and your teams life.

Trust me, you don’t want to be in a position where someone can just walk in and say “no” to your plans.

It is NOT common sense to keep coasting. If anything, it makes zero sense. Unless you want your career plans to be someone else’s to cancel, you need to start plotting your next chapter before they do it for you.

This whole article is about calling out that “common sense” voice for what it is: an excuse. In today’s world, clinging to an uninspiring career out of fear, habit or inertia? That’s the bigger risk. If you’re reading this, you already know that.

Here’s the actual common sense: The tools, resources, and opportunities to design your own work life have never, ever been more accessible. And guess what? Midlife (hurrah Gen X) is the power position, not a liability.

Starting something new isn’t just for the twenty-somethings. One of the fastest growing group of new entrepreneurs is now aged 45–55, according to the Kauffman Foundation. More than a quarter of all new US startups are founded by people from this bracket.

Why? The game has changed. Today’s digital world is like a Swiss army knife for grown-ups:

You’ve got the tools and, more importantly, you’ve got decades of expertise and a network they’d kill for. You can build a side hustle, a consulting gig, a creative project without blowing up your life or savings.

List three things you know you’re good at actual, tangible skills (not just “making it to Friday”). How could those translate into something you could start on the side while still holding down the day job? What’s one small move you could make this month that gives you more control?

Look, fear is real. (I get it: healthcare, mortgages, and paid leave.) It’s natural. But the real red flag isn’t the risk of change it’s the cost of standing still.

Gen Xers who take stock of their skills, get curious about digital tools, and reach out to new networks don’t just find new ways to make money they find meaning. Autonomy. Maybe even a little bit of fun again.

So, the question isn’t, “Why start over now?” It’s:

Instead of doomscrolling LinkedIn job ads, message one person you admire for forging their own path. Ask how they got started. Bonus points if you tell them you’re thinking of making a move. The scariest part is sending that first message.

I've recommended this book more times than I can recall. It's not new but it's message still stands. "Choose Yourself" by James Altucher

Bottom line: Common sense has its uses, like not putting your hand in a blender. But when it comes to your career? Shake the snow globe.

Now: What will you build before someone else calls time?