Transitions, Transformations and a Little Photography
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Journaling
I have always been known as being able to take in a lot of information, consolidate it in a concise way and identify gaps/questions or next step actions to be taken. It is one of my super powers and it has served me well over a very long career. When I started thinking about retiring this was one area of my life where my thoughts seemed a jumbled mess and I lacked any clear direction.
I first talked about retiring about 5 years before I actually did - I kept coming up with reasons excuses for not calling an end to my career - other people who were part of my succession plan unexpectedly retired, the start of a significant industry collaboration that I was part of, COVID - the list was endless. I couldn’t seem to pull together a cohesive case for letting go and calling it a day to focus on different activities and purpose.
Even when I finally sat down with my boss to discuss my plans and declare a timeline, I had doubts and second, third and fourth thoughts about it.
Compasses and Directions
I’ve had some interesting conversations lately about the future, direction and purpose of life and while sometimes these conversations can be a bit daunting and heavy - especially when the forward path is murky and unclear - I have been finding myself uplifted by them.
I was recently asked to participate in a luncheon for a youth group with members nearing the end of high school and next life steps looming for the students. A group of “elders” and recent graduates were asked to provide a slide with information about their career, what made them get into their career, what sustained them and also what advice they’d give to someone considering this career. It really got me thinking back a few years as I’ve just passed 3 years in retirement after a 38 year working life.
I approached my slide as though I was speaking to a younger version of myself and trying to tap into my motivations and advice.