You’ve had a mountain to climb.
You worked hard.
You built something.
Maybe several things.
You gave it your all.
And, in return, you got somewhere worth getting to.
A business.
A reputation.
A level of success that would make your younger self proud.
But there’s a strange moment that comes when you reach a certain age.
You’re standing at or near the summit.
And.. it’s not what you thought it would be.
You’re not in crisis or burnt out (though you’ve flirted with it), or lost (not really).
But still.. something’s off.
And you realise the mountain you’ve been climbing might not be yours anymore.
This is what purpose drift feels like.
It’s subtle.
It’s sneaky.
And it’s real.
It’s that dull ache of realising that your work still works but doesn’t move you like it used to.You’re still performing, showing up, and playing the part, but something inside has changed.
You’re playing a role that no longer fits the shape of your soul.
You can’t quite name it. But it’s there, a voice quietly asking:
“Why am I doing this again?”
“Is this still it?”
“Whose idea of success am I living?”
When you’re younger, success is more straightforward.
Build.
Achieve.
Grow.
Prove.
Win.
There are rules to the game, and for a while, playing by them felt good.
But midlife does something peculiar.
It messes with the rules. Or more accurately, it invites you to question them.
Suddenly, it’s less about how high you’ve climbed and more about whether you’re on the right mountain at all.
It’s a shift in story.
A shift in scale.
A shift in soul.
And that shift often comes with fog and friction. It’s a feeling of “almost right, but not quite.”
You’re not broken. You’re becoming.
This drift you feel isn’t a failure of character but a feature of growth.
It’s a signal to tell you that you’ve outgrown the goals your past self set.
You’re no longer building for validation.
You’re building for meaning.
But meaning requires change, and change is disorienting.
The map that got you here doesn’t tell you where to go next because where you’re going now is more inward than upward.
So what now?
You don’t need to blow it all up.
You don’t need a perfect plan or a new personal brand or a podcast or a tattoo that says surrender (unless you really want one).
What you need is… space.
To stop.
To breathe.
To listen again for what’s true now.
Because the version of you that made those earlier choices did so honestly and the version of you today is being just as honest.
You’re not giving in. You’re growing.
What helps?
After over a decade of guiding people through this terrain at The Happy Startup School, here’s what we’ve learned:
- Interrupt the pattern.
Be somewhere different. Physically, mentally, emotionally. The environment matters. - Slow down enough to hear the questions.
Purpose speaks softly. You need to be still enough to listen. - Don’t go it alone.
Share space with others navigating the same fog. It helps you remember you’re not the only one. - Feel before you fix.
Don’t rush into solutions. Let the discomfort teach you what matters now.
Take the next small step.
Not the big leap.
Not the life overhaul.
Just the next honest move.
This is why we created Alptitude.
A retreat in the French Alps that is a pocket of time and space for people like you.
People who’ve done the thing and are now wondering what’s next.
We don’t promise epiphanies and we don’t offer hacks.
What we do is
- slow things down
- create the space
- invite the questions
- and let the answers arrive on their own time.
Sometimes among the mountains, what you’ve been looking for finds you.
If you’ve read this far, something inside you already knows that the old mountain isn’t yours anymore.
But the next one?
It’s waiting.
Not for you to conquer it but for you to climb it differently.
With curiosity.
With integrity.
And with others beside you.
This time, it’s not about the summit. It’s about the journey.
The joy.
The truth of each step.
And maybe, just maybe, it’s about becoming who you were always meant to be.
Altitude takes place this June 14–21 in the French Alps – learn more and apply here www.alptitu.de
It’s for thoughtful, creative people navigating a transition.
A new chapter.
A slow and necessary change.
Over the past decade, Laurence and I have hosted over 30 transformational gatherings across the world — from Sussex to Southern India.
We’ve created spaces where hundreds of entrepreneurs and professionals have stepped away from the noise to hear what their inner voice has been whispering all along.
We’ve walked this path ourselves, from building successful businesses to letting go of what no longer fits, and we know how disorienting (and ultimately liberating) this phase can be.
Our role isn’t to fix or direct or prescribe.
It’s to hold space, offer perspective, and gently guide you back to the clarity you already carry within.
We’ve done the work.
We’ve felt the shift.
And we’re here to help you make yours — not by showing you the map, but by helping you trust your own compass.
If you’re feeling the drift and you want space to find your way, apply to join us next month.
We’ll follow up to arrange a call.
No pressure. Just a conversation.
You’re not lost.
You’re becoming.