Embarking on Your Encore Career: When Life Throws You a Curveball
From Lin Schreiber, 9/3/2009 9:42:58 AM
The curveball becomes that rude awakening that often derails us from our tried and true plan to go from A to B . . . ~Doug Glanville, Former AL Outfielder
Life can throw us a curveball when we least expect it, never more so than in this next stage of life.
Sue is single, and was inspired by Jean Shula’s journey in The Coming of Aging mentioned in my last blog. Remember how after Jean’s divorce, she bought a camper and embarked on a year-long adventure traveling around the country? Well, Jean’s story sparked something deep inside Sue, and she decided that when she retires next year, she’s giving herself the gift of a year before creating an encore career and going on her own great adventure.
Sue started researching recreational vehicles, rented one, and drove to a women’s RV weekend a few hours from her home. She had such a good time, she couldn’t wait to get home and put the wheels in motion for the transition to her new life.
But, then the curveball – a heart attack. It was mild, but a set-back just the same. Sue, though, didn’t see it as a set-back; she saw it as a wake-up call. First, to take better care of herself; second, to make sure that she follows her heart to the adventure she envisions. There’s not a doubt in my mind – or Sue’s – that this dream will become a reality.
Mary and her husband, Joe, had their ideal retirement plan in place, were five years away from financial readiness, and were eagerly counting the days until they could take off into this new dream life. Then, Joe died unexpectedly. Devastated to lose her life partner in her 50’s, it took Mary two years to go through her grieving process, and start to regain her equilibrium.
While Mary loved her work as a nurse, she was burned out and ready for a change. Without Joe’s income feeding their nest egg, the “ideal” retirement they’d plan was no longer a reality. It was clear to Mary that she needed to leave her current career, and move into a new career that would give her the freedom she craved, while earning a good income.
It would have been easy for Mary to feel cheated that she wasn’t going to have the life she’d planned with Joe. That would have kept her stuck and angry, and that’s NOT the kind of life she wanted for herself. So, Mary’s currently exploring ways to take her wealth of nursing knowledge and apply it in new and exciting ways. She’s considering writing and speaking, becoming a medical advocate, and consulting.
What curveball has life thrown you? How did you use it to fuel yourself forward in your life?
