My clients say the best things! Last year, while naming some of the things on his "back burner," one of my clients said, "I'm just afraid some of these things are on the back burner of someone else's stove!" We both laughed in recognition of this truth.

Once we're past our 30's, we see how quickly time flies, and how easy it is to get so caught up in the rush and tingle of everyday life that we forget some of our commitments to ourselves. We put something on the back burner, and it can be YEARS until we notice it back there. If we notice it at all.

One of the perks that midlife offers is the chance to revisit what we've postponed in our lives. Yes, midlife often brings chaos and angst, which forces us to step back and re-asses our priorities and values. And it also brings us face to face with the things we've postponed until now.

And now there are choices to be made, item by item. Do you keep "have a garden" on your "someday maybe" list or do you decide to truck in some decent soil THIS SPRING and grow some tomatoes already? Do you finally start making more time for friends, or do you stay committed to your adrenaline-laced schedule that keeps you on the run? These are the kinds of choices that come up to the conscious level at midlife.

COACHING TIPS:

So what's on your back burner? Here are some suggestions for investigating this question.

1. Start a running list of the things you have on your back burner. It may take you up to a month to remember all of what's back there.

2. For each one, name the pleasures or satisfactions it would afford you.

3. Which would be the most rewarding one to finally DO?

4. Do you have resistance to doing it? If so, articulate it. (You know, "I don't have the time, I don't have the money, I'm not fill-in-the-blank enough, what would people say, etc." )

5. Respond to the resistance, line by line, as if you were a compassionate friend who wants you to have what your heart longs for.

6. Choose at least one thing from the list to bring into your life.

7. Identify the next step toward having it, and write in into your active "To Do" list.

COPYRIGHT 2003, Sharon Teitelbaum. All rights reserved.

Sharon Teitelbaum

Sharon Teitelbaum, a professional Work-Life and Career Coach, author and motivational speaker, specializes in coaching high achieving women with young children, people at mid-career, and professionals seeking greater career satisfaction and work-life balance. Her book, Getting Unstuck Without Coming Unglued: Restoring Work-Life Balance, was published in 2005.

In addition to coaching clients throughout the US by phone, or in person in the Boston area, Sharon also delivers keynotes, workshops, and brown bag sessions on work-life issues. She has given workshops for Children?s Hospital Boston, SunLife Financial, Arnold Worldwide, Coldwell Banker, the Forum for Women Leaders of Non-Profits, and many parent and alumni groups. She has been featured in several national publications including The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, and Working Mother Magazine.

She has been married for 30 years and is the mother of two amazing young women.