---
title: "Your Midlife Crisis at 35 Is Just Your Reluctance to Change"
description: "At 35, with over a decade of work experience, sudden change is unwelcome. In 2017, the panic wasn't about soaring housing prices but the fear of unemployment after 35, sparked by Huawei's layoffs of non-executive employees over 34. This article argues that the crisis is self-imposed, urging readers to recognize their abilities, summon courage, and break self-imposed barriers to adapt and thrive."
author: "老纳"
publisher: "New Distribution"
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published: "2017-05-24"
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---

# Your Midlife Crisis at 35 Is Just Your Reluctance to Change

> At 35, with over a decade of work experience, sudden change is unwelcome. In 2017, the panic wasn't about soaring housing prices but the fear of unemployment after 35, sparked by Huawei's layoffs of non-executive employees over 34. This article argues that the crisis is self-imposed, urging readers to recognize their abilities, summon courage, and break self-imposed barriers to adapt and thrive.

At 35, with over 10 years of work experience, sudden change is something no one wants.
In 2017, the panic wasn't about housing prices rising several times, but the fear of unemployment after 35. All thanks to Huawei, which planned to lay off non-executive employees over 34—in other words, frontline staff whose jobs are considered replaceable.
Logically, 35 is the prime of middle age, with experience, ideas, systems, execution, and management skills. Most people have over a decade of work experience. Without connections, most, like me, are the frontline backbone of their companies (no typo). If the economy weren't struggling, this group wouldn't be panicking.
However, the more you don't want something, the more it happens, and panic suddenly arrives. Clearly, we at 35 haven't prepared to face this panic.
**Know Yourself**
At 35, we are the middle force of enterprises—I deliberately avoid saying 'backbone' because there's a reason. Although we're so-called white-collar elites making PPTs and managing dozens of subordinates, in our parents' era, we'd be equivalent to production line team leaders—not high, not low, with workers below us.
Due to unclear positioning, it's easy to lose ourselves at this age. Once, while discussing task execution, I mentioned that when frontline business doesn't execute, marketing should do it themselves to set an example. Many opposed, saying, 'You've got our marketing role wrong; we drive execution, not do it ourselves, or it'll exhaust our team, and your push is just a point, not a surface.'
This mindset was correct ten years ago. The market was undeveloped, consumers were naive, and you could educate consumers while training internally. But ten years have passed, and many still don't understand the market battlefield. It's like the enemy is at the city walls, soldiers are short-handed, and the task is heavy. As an adjutant, you think you should only encourage soldiers to advance; if they don't, you hide behind, fearing losing face. I say you're overthinking. When the enemy comes, forget your title. After repelling them, the organization might send you to the front lines. You should focus on surviving the immediate crisis. Can't an adjutant fire a gun, or only blow the charge?
Of course, knowing yourself doesn't mean self-deprecation. The worst is going to extremes: either thinking you're second only to the emperor, and not being in management is due to lack of connections or a blind boss; or thinking you're a failure, just a cog, and no other tree can accommodate you.
So when companies restructure and eliminate your position, you first think you're unlucky, then think you lack ability, so you accept it silently.
Why not fight back? Yes, everyone hypes the 35-year-old crisis, but that doesn't mean you lack ability. In the era of internet bragging, post-80s lack the buzz of post-90s, but what good results have post-90s startups, favored by investors, achieved? Yu Jiawen, who gave 100 million to employees; Yu Xiaodan, the beauty CEO of Kongkonghu; Wang Kaixin of Super Department Store; Ma Jiajia selling sex products—which company survived two years?
The current main force is still post-80s, though post-90s have entered the stage. Recognize your abilities; leaving this pit doesn't mean no other path. You have skills, systems, connections, and execution.
**Courage**
Without Fish Leong, we have no 'Courage.' Lack of courage stems from comfort; without pain, you never seek the next opportunity.
At 35, we have social experience and self-awareness. But this awareness weakens our courage to fight life. We're restless inside but crave stability, and these contradictions make us succumb to life's currents.
At 35, you're basically set in a company, especially in more formal and complete ones, where you're like a nail. With social insurance and a monthly salary of 8-9k, it's not great but not bad, and it's stable. Though your career has hit a bottleneck, knowing you won't change unless you outlast superiors or have connections, you continue like a donkey turning a millstone.
Suddenly, the donkey finds the millstone worn and the path uneven. What to do? Change the millstone or keep pulling until the owner kills you for meat? Of course, you want to change the millstone and life. But you always say, 'I have elders and children; what if I change jobs? What if my startup fails? I'll endure another day.' Until you can't endure anymore.
Yes, the environment is bad, but that's no excuse to escape. When it truly hurts, the owner has already stabbed you. Now you can still fight; at 40, you'll have more concerns, and companies will be even less likely to keep you.
Is life that hard? When life truly pushes you to that point, you'll definitely fight. **Your so-called crisis is your own self-indulgence; you know the future is tough, but you cling to present comfort.**
**Self-Imposed Barriers**
A friend complained that his company was deteriorating and might collapse. He wanted a job and asked me to recommend one I didn't fancy.
I recommended a product manager role at a foreign company. He said, 'You're joking; I don't know English.' I checked the job description—it didn't require fluent English, and as an expat, how much English would he use? I said, 'First, update your resume and apply.' He replied, 'I haven't updated my resume in 7-8 years; you're good at it, help me.'
This guy is a classic self-limiter. When he complains about his company, he still clings to it, having worked there for a decade. He's been out of touch with the outside world. Not having made a resume in 7-8 years means he never considered external opportunities, at least not seriously.
When you recommend a job, his pickiness is an excuse, a self-imposed obstacle. In short, he's not ready to break with his current life, just living day by day.
Like they say, 'The company is failing, why rush? We won't starve.' True, no one starves, but isn't it sad to reach that point?
Another barrier is resistance to unfamiliar work and unwillingness to learn. They think their skills only apply in their most familiar field.
For example, before 2013, I thought I had literary talent; my dream was to write poetry, novels, and scripts. But in 2013, I started writing about my work experience and basic marketing knowledge from college, gaining over 500,000 views on Tianya. I thought my knowledge was limited and my WeChat articles lacked depth. Someone told me, 'Why must it be deep? You can go broad and still get traffic.'
I detested marketing; I thought I was a literary youth, and my writing couldn't be tied to damn marketing. But the fact is I chose this path. I'm good at storytelling and being a cynic; words are just a medium. My earlier confusion was a self-imposed barrier.
In 2014, a certain FMCG company restructured. Jia's position changed from regional manager to office head. Angry, Jia resigned and became a head at another FMCG company. But after six months, Jia found it unsustainable—same work, no future. Around then, Meituan was emerging, so Jia returned to his hometown to become a Meituan distributor, hiring a dozen riders, becoming the biggest contractor. In just three years, he had over 100 riders, four or five internet projects, and a company valued at over 10 million.
Yi, Jia's former boss, also resigned. Yi had more resources but felt his connections and resources were in FMCG, so he stuck with it. Perhaps unlucky, Yi changed jobs three times from 2014 to 2017, each paying over a million, but companies faced issues, forcing changes. Now Yi and some friends started a business, still in FMCG beverages.
We can't say who's right or wrong; it's about different barriers and perceptions. I wish them both well, as they're my good friends.
**The Hardest Change**
Past 35, we gain experience, responsibility, and also fat and laziness. We avoid harm and choose what we're best at.
Scrolling your phone is more fun than reading; drinking is easier than thinking; lying down is more comfortable than exercising. Changing self-perception, comfortable life, and psychological defenses is hard. Easier said than done.
Like a friend who resigned with 100k+ compensation, wanted to start a restaurant but feared location issues; wanted a job but feared opportunities. I suggested a WeChat public account, as many earn 10k+ monthly from traffic alone. He said he lacked literary talent.
Another friend, who accumulated 150k followers last year and built a network, bravely formed a team, moved to Beijing for broader connections, and now earns several times more than as a channel manager.
The world changes. Insurance used to be hard to sell, but now people accept it. Now health is the trend; we must adapt.
Actually, 35 is still young. After all, there's a water that has been underground for 7,500 years, now ready to change China's high-end water landscape.
That's **Hanshui Selenium Valley·Zhenxi Water, silent underground for 7,500 years.** Now, seeing China's high-end water monopolized by foreign brands or stuck in selling bottles, it aims to conquer consumers with quality.
At 35, we need to fight again, relying on health. Selenium prevents modern diseases and cancer. Zhenxi Water is rich in selenium; three bottles daily supplement the body's needs. Shaanxi Selenium Valley Industry Development Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Shaanxi Coal Group, a state-owned enterprise previously in unrelated industries, now sees the high-end water market and makes its change.
Is changing at 35 harder than their change?
**Change starts with your drinking habits.**
**Distributor Recruitment**
**(Long press or scan to add)**
Lao Na's Comment:
I know putting an ad at the end of such a hot topic will make many uncomfortable. I know without it, the repost rate would be higher. But as a public account, if I take a company's ad, I must do my best to promote it and create topics. I'm not like Liu Shengleilei or Mi Meng, who get 100k+ traffic with anything. I have to leverage current trends.
In the FMCG public account circle, my account is insignificant. I see big accounts squandering resources, taking ads randomly, never responsible for advertisers or distributors. Their squandering is like people with good resources wasting talent and connections.
If we treat every client and job with care, the future won't be too harsh for us middle-aged folks. I believe my influence in the FMCG circle will grow, though my dream is to write poetry, novels, and scripts. I also believe that if you bravely change, nothing is impossible.
At 35, you're the backbone of this country. If this age panics, the country panics...
**Source: FMCG Disciples**
-END-


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