The statistics tell us that 80 percent of people in midlife are unhappy in their job.

They’re unhappy in their circumstances but they won’t do anything about it because of fear, old ways of thinking, being set in their ways, when the reality is they live their lives miserably.

According to the research by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, April 2008, only 6% of the people who are unhappy in their jobs and contemplated a career change, actually made that change. Why would someone stay in a job especially during this stage of life with this unhappiness?

The following 5 mind blowing reminders can be the game-changer that can lead to a more productive, happier and fulfilled life:

1. You are more prepared than you know

Many people at midlife think they don’t know enough and the very thought of getting more education keeps them stuck. It scares them.

This is understandable because of their age and when they do the math based upon the traditional college time-table, it becomes daunting. It’s scary. However, starting with what you know and your experience, this thought becomes less of a factor to make the transition.

“Follow your passion, be prepared to work hard and sacrifice, and, above all, don’t let anyone limit your dreams.” – Donovan Bailey

2. You still have time

To think you are running out of time, can be stressful, scary and immobilizing. Time is one of the most important resources that a person at midlife has. It cannot be wasted.

With that in mind, thinking time is in short supply, and not taking action doesn’t change the passage of time. Five years will come and go no matter what you do.

Why not begin to take control of your life and decide how you’ll use that time? It’s going to come no matter what. The choice is you deciding how it’s spent or someone else does.

There are numerous amount of evidence to support the fact that many people made significant impact upon the world and became wildly successful, during the Midlife years.

Data from the Kauffman Foundation shows the highest rate of entrepreneurship in America has shifted with individuals between the ages of 54 and 64 representing 22.9% of the entrepreneurs who have launched businesses. This kind of data is one that is encouraging and hope giving.

3. You aren’t the only one

How often do we feel like we are the only ones who have to make decisions like these. We see this stage of life as unique, which it is, but at the same time present opportunities like any other stage of life.

It requires some risk but having had an enormous wealth of past experiences we are now equipped or better equipped to deal with what comes our way. We are mentally and emotionally conditioned having had our share of not so happy experiences.

Realizing you are not the only one, will help you to explore how others have done it and what you might be able to glean from them.

4. You don’t have to risk it all

Losing all your life’s savings or your only source of income and feeling more disposable because of your age, causes you to play it safe.

However, how safe is it when someone else is deciding your fate? You have a boss who could say to you, “I’m sorry but we are not longer in need of your service.” That could happen at anytime. To me that’s a very stressful way to live. Living that way is more risky.

However, you don’t have to transition in one day. You can lay the groundwork towards that by doing a little at a time. You could focus on personal development while you still work. You could tease out your idea of what it is you want to do to see if it is something that you’ll enjoy and if people are interested in what you have to offer.

You could volunteer in an environment that gives you a chance to do some of what it is you would like to do. It is taking little action steps towards your overall goal.

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” – T. S. Eliot

5. You have more resources now than ever

The floodgates have been open. The guards no longer can keep you out. There was a time that getting access to people or other resources was an unsurmountable task. You had to wade through layers of people or procedures to get access to what you need. That’s no longer true.

Yes, there are still some “blockages” but these are not as significant as they once were to keep you from making things happen the way you want.

With the open access to the Internet and the incredible number of available tools to transact business and other ideas, it is so much more easier to connect with the “whole world.” This is why I believe with these 5 reminders makes transitioning at midlife a whole lot easier.

Which of these mind blowing reminders did you find helpful? What would you have added? Take a minute and leave your comment below.