What’s Next and Why Milestones Matter

Happy Independence Day! 

In June, I had my own birthday celebration and this milestone challenged me to raise my eyes and look ahead on my path of career pursuits and life. In this spirit, I want to share the book that launched this inquiry as well as two others that brought out thoughts and aspirations I am just starting to unpack.  

The launching point was reading When, by Daniel Pink. Coming from a family of runners, I was inspired by the discussion on “Energize: Why We Kick Harder Near (Some) Finish Lines”.  At the time, I was 59 and this insight clicked, “What the end of the decade does seem to trigger, for good and for ill, is a reenergized pursuit of significance. So step one was to reflect on why turning 60 is important for me and who I want to be.

This reflection led to F*CK Retirement by John Windsor. I want to thank my fellow coach Amir Hijazi for turning me onto it. Of course, the title reflected a bit of my feelings about what’s next, but it is more than a sassy title. It was the right balance of fun, interesting science and lots of targeted, powerful questions. As a person who grew up on sitcoms and commercials, I am not sure this should be one of my key takeaways, but I knew I had to take charge of this phase of my life when I read, “The ideal of what retirement should be was dreamed up by marketers 60 years ago to sell houses”.  I hate falling for an empty pitch.

When my momentum waned for this daunting, change your life task, I happened to see the new Marshall Goldsmith book, The Earned Life.  It was a welcome distraction that my guilt allowed since it kept me moving ahead, albeit down a different road. In the end, it was the perfect overlay to F*CK Retirement that reframed the conversation, provided some additional tools for my quest and got me back on track to meeting the challenge of the final chapters. 

So, my takeaways as I embark on my personal What’s Next. 

1. Timing makes a difference. Pay attention and play it to your advantage.
2. Find or create a purpose. Fulfillment and longevity are directly related to it.
3. Ask for help. The assistance of others can provide a sounding board for your ideas, a fresh perspective or insights, and a source of accountability for actions you want to take.

Happy July 4th – here’s to what’s next for you!