The truth is that we need you. In a world that is in very rough shape these days, we need you. We need your talents, your skills, and your perspective. You have a wealth of knowledge behind you and decades in front of you. Unlike the younger ones who are just trying to frantically balance everything and get by, you have some space and time. What will you do with that precious resource?
Not An Invitation To Return To Work
When I say this, people tend to think that I’m encouraging them to dive back into the workforce. That’s not it. It’s about finding the right fit for this season of your life, so that you can feel strong, content, and able to show up for the world.
The Right Fit For You
That may mean keeping it small with your family, friends and local community. It could mean going bigger and supporting groups, charities, and worthy organizations. It might mean working part-time, or on short-term contracts. It could also mean developing your art, and/or becoming a much healthier version of you.
The truth is that in this chapter of your life it’s finally your choice. There’s no one to impress or career ladder to climb.
Self-Reflection Not Self-Absorption
Taking some time to figure out what comes next can feel incredibly indulgent.
Isn’t the world burning? Shouldn’t I be rushing off in all directions to support it and put out the fires?
But a frantic approach isn’t likely to be effective, and is more than likely to drain you. Without some self-reflection of how your values, skills and capacity (both physically and mentally) affect you, you may find yourself jumping from one worthy or interesting activity to another, and not feeling satisfied with any of them. In a world on fire, there’s an endless list of ways to help, but a finite list of things that would be a good fit for you to engage in. Self-reflection informs your choices.
Settle First – Take Time
A big part of the self-reflection process, involves settling. After stepping away from a career into the great unknown of what comes next, it takes time to settle and get used to not working full-time. It’s an adjustment period that I’ve noticed can take people from 6 months to 3 years to adapt to, or recover from, depending on their health and family pressures when they retired. Someone who retires in good health with no elderly parents or dependent children, will probably be ready to figure out their next steps faster. Someone who is caring for dependent family members, or recovering from a toxic work environment, will no doubt need to give themselves more time.
Choose Your Self-Reflective Activities
After a period of settling you might notice one day that you feel a little lost and somewhat set aside by others who are working full-time. That’s when it’s time to start engaging with some self-reflective activities and figure out how the world needs you.
This may mean getting serious about journaling, trying some guided journaling prompts (see below), attending a retreat/workshop, or chatting with a life coach. You don’t need to stay lost. You just need to figure out how we need you, because we do.
Here are some guided journal prompts that you may find useful. Only use one at a time. You don’t need to journal every day for it to be effective.
- What do I want my life to look like in five or ten years?
- What makes me feel excited to get up in the morning?
- What does “success” mean to me?
- What do I need to stop doing and start doing?
- If I had all the money and time in the world, what would I be doing?
