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Why Change Feels Harder in Mid-Life
How the quadratic relationship between progress and effort complicates mid-life transitions
When I was 27, I quit my job as a financial advisor and started cooking at a restaurant. On Wednesday I was advising clients, and by Friday that same week, I was burning myself at the fryer.
I couldn’t imagine doing that now. Why, in mid-life, does that feel so difficult to even consider? Why does it feel so hard to make changes when you are in your 40s or 50s?
The Relationship Between Effort and Progress is Nonlinear
Said another way, effort grows faster than progress. As progress increases, more effort is required to stay on the same trajectory. Consider the graph below:
A 1% improvement in your 20s isn’t the same as a 1% improvement in your 40s or 50s. In this scenario, progress can be however you define it. It could be better quality of life, financial security, more time, or a job you love.
Why is it like this?
