Are you Running From Something or Toward it?

May 1, 2026

By: Andrea Maizes, ACC, CPRC

I've sat across from a lot of high-achieving women in their 50s and heard some version of the same sentence: "I think I'm ready to retire." And when I ask what's driving that feeling, the answer is almost always some variation of “I’m exhausted, done, over it”.

Here's the hard truth I share with every single one of them: that's not retirement readiness. That's depletion. And the two look almost identical from the outside, which is exactly why confusing them can cost you everything.

Burnout and retirement readiness feel the same on the surface. Underneath, they are completely different animals.

The Difference Nobody Talks About

Burnout wants relief. It wants out. It fantasizes about sleeping until noon and never answering another email. It is reactive, desperate, and exhausted.

Readiness wants reinvention. It is curious, forward-leaning, a little impatient—but in an excited way. It imagines what's possible, not just what it's escaping.

Both will tell you "I can't keep doing this." But only one of them has a next chapter waiting on the other side.

If you retire burned out, you don't suddenly become energized. You become tired at home. With a lot of free time and no structure and a growing sense of "wait, is this it?" I've seen it happen. The women who thought they were ready, who left on a high note or on the heels of a very bad quarter, who found themselves six months later wondering what the hell they did.

Because burnout lifts. It takes time and rest and space, but it lifts. And if you weren't actually ready, you may find yourself wanting to go back—to a market that has moved on, to a role that no longer exists, to colleagues who assumed you were done.

Why This Matters Even More Right Now

We're in an era of accelerating change. AI is reshaping entire industries. Companies are getting leaner. And here's the part no one says loudly enough: the most experienced, most expensive employees are often the first to go. Not because they aren't valuable. Because one $100K salary buys two $50K ones.

This isn't cynicism. This is arithmetic. And the women who are navigating midlife transitions right now, whether by choice or not, deserve to understand the landscape they're operating in.

Which means the question "am I running from something or toward something?" isn't just philosophical. It's strategic.

How to Tell the Difference

The clearest test I know: ask yourself this one question.

"If my role magically improved tomorrow—new boss, fewer politics, better boundaries—would I still want to leave?"

If the honest answer is no, you may not be ready to retire. You may just be ready to recover.

Burnout sounds like:

•       "I'm done with all of it."

•       "I just need out."

•       "I can't care anymore."

Readiness sounds like:

•       "There's something else I want to build."

•       "I feel complete here."

•       "I'm curious about what's next."

One is escape. One is choice.

Purpose Is the Compass

In the PATH framework we work with inside the mastermind, Purpose is the first pillar for a reason. It's not about finding your one grand mission in life (please, that pressure alone would exhaust anyone). It's about having a clear enough sense of direction that your decisions are pulled forward rather than pushed from behind.

When you know what you're moving toward—even broadly—the question of when to leave, how to leave, and what to build next becomes exponentially clearer. Purpose is the difference between drifting into your next chapter and designing it.

The women who navigate this transition best aren't the ones who had everything figured out. They're the ones who took the time to ask the right questions before they pulled the ripcord.

So. Where Are You?

If you're reading this and you're not sure—that's okay. Uncertainty is not a character flaw. But it is a signal that it's worth slowing down enough to find out.

Take the retirement readiness assessment. Talk to someone who's been through it. And before you make any big moves, make sure you know whether you're escaping something or choosing something.

Because one of those leads somewhere. The other just leads away.