Know Thyself
“Alas for those who never sing and die with all their music in them.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes
Holmes brings to mind our ability to fully express our unique set of strengths, skills and talents (our song) and contribute authentically in a way we love.
Are you someone who’s been singing your song loud and proud your whole life? Or, has your song gotten lost somewhere in all the pressures of living so you’ve forgotten how it goes? If your song has grown quiet over the years, your post-career life is a great opportunity to recover it and allow your singular, brilliant music to be heard again. To do that, you first need to get better acquainted with yourself at this time of your life.
Leaving planet Work after 30, 40, 50+ years is a BIG change potentially replete with derailing loss. Gone are the structure of your days, your daily interaction with colleagues, common goals and, possibly, your identity, sense of purpose.
Spending time well before your career exit to get curious about yourself and what sustains you, will not only help you rediscover your song, but also reduce the power of the losses to knock you sideways and delay a successful transition to retirement.
Start to reframe the potential losses by asking yourself questions like:
How much of my identity is tied up in my work? How can I forge a new sense of self without it?
Do I have a social network apart from my professional one that includes some close friends? How important is frequent social interaction to my well-being?
Is routine and structure one of the things that keeps me balanced? How will I build that when it’s not dictated by the job?
What are my interests, needs, core strengths? How can my strengths keep me on track to pursue my interests and fulfill my needs?
