Second CareerWhat about a second career? There are some people who never develop their true talents and gifts, preferring to take the easy way out, the safe, low road. Perhaps they didn’t plan it that way -- it just happened. They sort of ended up in a dead-end job. or an okay, mediocre position. A safe, secure position has merit, but it doesn’t necessarily satisfy one’s deepest desires. And the journey isn’t as breathtaking as following your heart and taking the chance to be all that you can be. Many of my clients tell me they wish they had made a different career choice when they were young. And now it’s just too late. They grieve their loss. They live with the pain. They don’t talk about it much. They tend to bury it. It just quivers inside like a secret wish that has been snuffed out a thousand times and refuses to die. Often I will ask them if it really is too late to make that career change. How can you be sure? Maybe it’s still possible to work your way into a more suitable second career. Why live with regret when you have the power to finally live your dream now that you have made it in another career? Retirement and Second Career OpportunitiesYou may be retired or facing retirement. You may be thinking about spending your time gardening, playing golf, bowling, playing poker or bridge with the guys or gals, moving into a lock-and-key retirement community in Florida. And that’s great …if that’s what you want. Or you may be thinking about how you could go back to school and prepare yourself for that all-important career change you’ve always wished you could pull off. You are looking for something more fulfilling – something to make you feel young again, exuberant and more alive.It may not be a second career, but a project or an initiative that has meaning to you. A friend of mine supports no-kill animal shelters. It’s a work he loves. And it does a lot of good. And why not do something that you have always wanted to do? What a way to live! What a way to spend your retirement years! Doing work you’re passionate about. It's worth figuring out how to make that career change a reality. I know people who have switched from factory work to truck driving, just so they could travel the country. Others have moved from a career in sales to the ministry. Some have given up successful business careers to become counselors in the school system. I know a counselor who is going back to school to become a teacher because she has always wanted to teach and work with small children. A real estate developer wants to open a frame shop. A doctor wants to open a recreation center in an urban area. I have a retired engineer friend, Tom Brown, who searches for lost apple varieties. Combing the south for lost, forgotten and nearly extinct varieties of merit, Tom has found hundreds of obscure and old-fashioned apple varieties once grown by our forefathers, but in danger of sliding into extinction. He is really working at it, really making a difference. He is passionate about it. He is having the time of his life, working his tail off, finding varieties that could slip into extinction without his help. He is keeping our heritage alive! You guessed it. It’s a labor of love for him. Today not everyone wants to retire when they retire. Talk about energizing your relationships. When you are happy and fulfilled in your work, you bring more pizzazz to your relationships. Coaching May Help Light a Fire under YouA coach can guide you through the difficult, shark-infested waters of making this important life decision. It can help you get ready for the career change you want to make. You’ll do the work, but you won’t be alone. You will have a partner to help you achieve a difficult task, someone who can encourage you to keep dreaming, and help you find a path of self-discovery, someone who will give you a gentle but real push in the right direction. If you need help analyzing your strengths and assets, or in rethinking your ambitions for your retirement years, contact me and let me know. I’d be happy to talk it over with you.Go to Types of Relationships from Second Career |
