In response to my column a couple of months ago on mid-life crisis, some readers have e-mailed to say that they identified with this new quest for a ‘second life’ but are nonplussed on how to do it for various reasons such as age and family responsibilities. A young adult in his 20s to 30s, especially if single, can easily carve out a new life as he may have less obligations, less bills to pay, and let’s face it, more energy to devote to his new passions.

There is an upside to starting again in one’s 40s: the wisdom gained by greater experience; a greater sphere of influence; more numerous contacts who can prove to be a support group; and to those who were able to maximize their accomplishments and their benefits when they were younger, more resources (including funding) to maneuver with.

That part about resources is critical, especially if you’d like to take time off from work to explore a new interest. Prior to quitting his day job in the IT business to become a full-time social media and internet marketing expert, Carlo Ople checked his savings—and counted the number of months that he could survive and pay his bills without drawing a regular salary.

Sometimes, that time-off is necessary, especially if training or immersion in your new interest is required. A few career shifters take workshops, certification courses or a graduate degree to add to their skills.

However, to those who may not be able to do an immediate transition because of family obligations, one option is to do it little by little, slowly but surely. Do your day job—but work on your passion at night.

Above all, network. This is one advantage that we 40-somethings have over our younger colleagues. At this point in our lives, we already (or should) have a solid reputation among our peers and credentials of accomplishments that we can leverage on to secure a client or claim an opportunity.

Even if we are a newbie in one field, our reputation in the old field can still speak for us.

My own insurance agent Maricel Laraya quit her day job after a happy, profitable decade in the financial consultancy business to become a full-fledged life coach. After her training, communicating about her new profession with her old clients (like myself) who had come to trust and respect her was natural; it wasn’t a hard sell, as our relationship had been established over the years. I was genuinely interested in her career shift—and as one former happy client, would be more than happy to explore mutually beneficial ventures.

Finally, the concern about energy can be compensated for by living a true healthy lifestyle that consists of regular exercise, maybe even a sport, and a nutritious diet. Another way to maximize our time and energies is to strategize our career paths. This is where wisdom and judicious restraint come into play. Unlike the younger folk whose enthusiasm makes them open to every opportunity that come their way, we should be able to study every door that opens with a clearer mind and a more objective perspective that will enable us to accept some and reject others.

Haidee Enriquez, currently the HR director of Sitel Philippines, passed up many opportunities when she was still in her old BPO company despite the more prestigious titles and heftier pay. The lady had immersed herself and gone through the range of every HR discipline and knew what she wanted: a position with regional strategic responsibilities. She bided her time until the right offer from Sitel came.

Preparing for one’s second life should not be an exercise in fear. Just take a good, clean look at what you can bring to the table, what you have to learn, the small sacrifices that you have to make—and then strategize.

Cora Llamas is a communications specialist and a magazine journalist grounded in various industries of the business sector such as human resources, BPO/call centers, among others. Feedback welcome at corallamas2002@yahoo.com.