Springing into an Encore Career

Lin Schreiber

Consider these resolutions for moving your life forward.

Posted March 23, 2011

By Lin Schreiber

Spring has definitely sprung: the weather is warming, days are longer, and it’s time for a fresh start. Have your encore career plans been hibernating for too long? Are you ready for a new approach to moving your life forward? Consider these spring resolutions to jump start your encore career:

Make Space. Clean the cobwebs out of your mind and your heart by de-cluttering your physical environment first. You’ll be amazed at how much space you’ll create in your life for new things to come in—ideas, people, opportunities—when you tackle the “piles of stuff” before anything else.

Energize. Of course, eating good food, moving your body, getting enough rest are great energizers. But, have you tried improving your attitude? Don’t discount the power of a positive outlook. When you find yourself worried about the future, or afraid of the change that’s coming, simply shift your perspective to one that feels better.   For instance, you can turn “I’m afraid that my money won’t outlast me” into “There are lots of creative ways for me to make money and enjoy life, and I’m going to have fun finding them!” How do each of those statements make you feel? Go for the one that fuels you forward, and leave the one that paralyzes you behind.

Try Something New. Go ahead—just for the fun of it! When my clients want a change, they often try to figure it out in their heads, instead of tapping into their hearts. I recommend they stop thinking about what “it” might be, and make a list of fun, thrilling, exciting things they’ve always wanted to do.   When Jane stopped trying to figure it out and made her list, she started by taking a trapeze lesson. Not on my top ten list, but it’s something she’d wanted to do for years. By the time she finished #2 on her list—parachuting from an airplane—the idea for her “what’s next” business just came to her fully formed. When Jane shifted her focus to something 180 degrees from work, her creative juices were free to bubble up from deep within.

Explore All Options. But, only the ones that feel right. Now is not the time to do what’s expected, or what conventional wisdom says you should do, or take the path of least resistance. Where are all the places you might live? What are the many ways you might make a contribution? What do you love to do that can be incorporated into your new life?

Think Big. Let yourself go way out there as you think about the possibilities of what might be next for you. No dinky thinking allowed! The sky’s the limit. You can always bring your ideas down a little closer to earth if you have to. It’s impossible to create an idea worth pursing when it’s scrunched up in a tiny ball on the ground.

Pursue That Dream. You know you have one. Uncover it. Dust it off. Breathe some life into it. You’ve got nothing to lose by exploring it. Make sure you understand the essence of the dream because the original package may no longer fit, but you could have the essence of your dream in a brand new package.

Remember, your encore career can be everything you want it to be. With a little bit of spring cleaning and your resolve to have this transition be different, you’ll be on your way to your ideal encore career—and life!

Lin Schreiber, PCC, is a Retirement Revolutionary who loves helping self-reliant women reinvent themselves in the next stage of life, formerly known as “retirement.” Lin is featured on the PBS series Boomers: Redefining Life After Fifty, and is the author of The ABC’s of Retiring Retirement. A Professional Certified Coach, Certified Retirement Coach, and founder of Revolutionize Retirement, Lin combines her contagious enthusiasm, nonstop energy, and passion for her subject to create a fun, dynamic learning environment that energizes and inspires her audiences.