Perimenopause Forced Me to Find My Purpose and a New Direction

I was living on autopilot. I had been living on autopilot for years. I had a job I was not passionate about. I had a life that was fine but not fulfilling. I was going through the motions. Perimenopause stopped that. My body forced me to slow down. My body forced me to ask myself what I was doing with my life. My body forced me to ask whether I was okay with how I was spending my time. The answer was no. I was not okay. I was wasting my life doing things that did not matter to me. So I made a change. I found something I actually cared about. I found a new direction. Perimenopause gave me the wake-up call I needed.

How I got here

I had spent my life doing what I was supposed to do. I got the degree. I got the job. I paid the bills. I checked the boxes. But I did not like my life. I was not passionate about anything. I was just existing. I had told myself that this was just how adult life was. You do not get to have a job you love. You do not get to spend your time on things that matter to you. You just do what you are supposed to do and you be grateful for what you have. Then perimenopause hit and my body physically could not keep doing what I was supposed to do. I could not push through like I used to. I could not ignore what I was feeling. My body was demanding that I pay attention. And in paying attention, I realized how much my life was not aligned with what I actually wanted.

What I actually did

I started thinking about what I actually cared about. What brought me joy. What made me feel alive. What did I want to do with the time I had left. I made a list. It was a long list. I had spent so much of my life pushing those desires down that listing them out made me emotional. Then I started making changes. I could not completely overhaul my life overnight. But I could start moving toward it. I started by taking a class in something I was interested in. That led to a conversation. That led to an opportunity. That led to a new direction. I am not finished with my transition but I am moving toward something that actually matters to me instead of away from something I do not like.

What actually changed

My sense of purpose shifted. I went from just existing and doing what I was supposed to do to actively choosing what I wanted to do with my life. I went from feeling like a passenger in my own life to feeling like the author. I am more excited about my future now than I have been in years. Perimenopause did not solve all my problems but it forced me to confront the fact that I had been wasting my life and to make changes.

What my routine looks like now

I am actively pursuing my new direction. I am taking classes. I am networking. I am learning new skills. I am building toward something that matters to me. I track my progress and my sense of fulfillment using PeriPlan. On the days that I am working toward my new purpose, my mood is so much better than it was before. I have something to look forward to. I have a sense of meaning. That has made my perimenopause so much more bearable.

If perimenopause is making you question your life, lean into that questioning. What do you actually want. What matters to you. What would you do if you had unlimited time and resources. Start moving toward it. Perimenopause is not a punishment. It might be an opportunity to redirect your life toward something that actually matters to you.