My Own Restless Season
A few years ago, I faced a season of restlessness. On the outside, my career looked steady. I had the title, the meetings, the responsibility. Yet inside, I felt an unsettling drift. I wasn’t burned out, but I wasn’t alive with purpose either. That gap, the quiet restlessness, forced me to rethink my rhythms.
That season eventually became the seed for what I now teach other mid-career leaders: turning restlessness into bold momentum.
Why Mid-Career Restlessness Hits Harder Than We Expect
Many leaders expect burnout. Few expect drift.
Burnout screams at you with exhaustion, sleepless nights, and health warnings. Drift whispers. It’s the slow realization that your effort isn’t translating into meaning. You’re moving, but not sure if you’re moving forward.
Patterns I’ve seen in dozens of mid-career men:
- They’ve built careers that look strong from the outside but feel shaky on the inside.
- They’ve lost their spark, even while they remain respected.
- They’ve achieved enough to be comfortable, but that comfort feels like quicksand.
👉 Restlessness is not weakness. It is a signal.
The Triggers of Restlessness (And What They Reveal)
- Identity Misalignment
When your title no longer feels big enough for who you’ve become. - Rhythm Fatigue
Old habits stop fueling you because responsibilities have changed. - Community Gaps
Surrounded by colleagues, but missing true peers who sharpen and challenge you.
Restlessness usually signals one of these gaps. Interpreting it correctly is the first step toward momentum.
Tools to Build Rhythms That Quiet Restlessness
This time, let’s highlight new tools (not the ones we used in socials) with stories of how I or clients have applied them:
- Notion (notion.so) → A customizable hub that lets you bring clarity to scattered ideas. One client used it to map his personal goals alongside his business projects, finally seeing where his life and work were colliding.
- Brain.fm (brain.fm) → Scientifically designed focus music. I used this while writing and noticed it cut my “warm-up” time in half, helping me move into flow quicker.
- Todoist (todoist.com) → A simple but powerful task manager. A leader I coach uses it not just for tasks, but for tagging commitments by energy level — a game-changer when restlessness comes from overextension.
Each tool is less about technology and more about rhythm. They create systems that absorb noise and give space for clarity.
A Deeper Dive:
The Second Mountain
by David Brooks
Brooks argues that most leaders spend their early decades climbing the first mountain of success, career, achievement, recognition. But eventually, that climb feels empty. Restlessness sets in.
He then describes the second mountain, the climb of meaning, contribution, and joy.
Key Quotes & Insights
- “The first mountain is about the ego. The second mountain is about shedding it.”
- “Joy is not just a feeling, it’s a moral outlook.”
Practical Steps You Can Use Today
- Check Your Mountain. Which one are you climbing? Write down your honest answer.
- Name Your People. Who are the 3–5 you want beside you for the next climb? Call one today.
- Redefine Success. Stop asking “What can I achieve?” Start asking “What can I contribute?”
This is exactly what turning restlessness into bold momentum looks like — shifting from chasing success to living with significance.
Leadership Lessons From Coaching Conversations
I once worked with a small business owner who admitted, “Todd, I’m restless. I’ve built something good, but it doesn’t feel good anymore.”
He thought the answer was selling everything and starting over. Instead, we paused. We mapped his rhythms using the Leadership Alignment Compass, spotting where his energy leaks were. He didn’t need to scrap his business, he needed to realign how he led it.
Within weeks, his restlessness shifted into clarity. The business stayed. His energy returned. His leadership felt fresh again.
👉 Restlessness didn’t end his story. It started a new chapter.
Practical Ways to Start Turning Restlessness Into Bold Momentum
- Audit Your Energy. Spend one week noticing what activities drain you and which fuel you. Write it down daily.
- Start a Micro-Habit. Pick one small daily streak that rebuilds your confidence. (Example: 10 minutes of reflection before email.)
- Reconnect With Peers. Call one friend or mentor you’ve drifted from. Restlessness often shrinks when you talk it out.
- Redefine Your Scoreboard. Ask: “If I wasn’t measured by output, what would I want to be remembered for?”
Every step is a way of saying: I will not silence restlessness, I will interpret it.
Coaching Corner: From Restless to Realigned
Restlessness is common, but you don’t have to navigate it alone.
Through my Clarity to Momentum™ framework, I guide leaders to reset rhythms, rediscover clarity, and build systems that turn drift into direction. The Leadership Alignment Compass is the starting point. It helps cut through the noise, focus fast, and channel energy into forward motion.
👉 If you’re ready to explore how to move from restlessness into bold momentum, schedule a quick call here: Calendly link.
And if now isn’t the right time, you can still stay connected:
- LinkedIn posts and newsletter (weekly insights).
- Facebook Page and the Clarity to Momentum private group (community support).
Conclusion: Restlessness Is Not the End
Restlessness is not a flaw in your leadership.
It’s the whisper that says you were made for more than coasting.
When you interpret it, align your rhythms, and climb the right mountain, you discover something powerful: momentum doesn’t come from erasing your past. It comes from building boldly on it.
That is the essence of turning restlessness into bold momentum.