Photo by Tom Tohilo via Unsplash

Personal conversations can sometimes affect both our business and personal decisions for the better.  One segment frequently overlaps the other and sometimes without realizing it. The worst case is when others believe they know best about how we are each to lead our individual life. I hear ‘you should do’ far too frequently, and ‘your idea will never work’ has become laughable.

What matters most is that we live life our way, and attempt ideas that we believe in to see if they will work.  Often, the good surprise is ours when results far exceed our expectations, let alone those of anyone else.  We each have one life to live to our fullest potential when we allow it to be so. 

‘A fulfilling life is to live one without regret. 

Upon speaking separately with longtime friends, a message came across loud and clear that when we take the time to analyze our choices, we can improve tomorrow.  Turning the analysis into a habit, we can achieve more than we initially believe to be possible.

No matter our career or endeavor, we each have two subject matters for decision-making with which we need a daily reckoning. The two topics are time and money. Wasting time can eat into profits while spending too much money will require extra years of employment. Being attentive to both in the best possible way is far more likely to produce our desired outcome. 

Most everyone believes aging gracefully along with retirement will be a relief in addition to having the freedom to do whatever pleases them. But that's putting the cart before the horse. Additional serious choices stare into one's face to improve tomorrow. Sadly, two previously highly successful friends are now struggling to make ends meet needing assistance with food.

My takeaways from the two conversations are:

• Groom your talent to support yourself; if you are fortunate to find a suitable partner, celebrate. 
• Save and invest with the help of a financial planner.
• Focus on your talent to build upon what you most enjoy; passion and purpose will help get you there.

And the lesson from the third conversation is:

• Before retiring, consider how you may spend fulfilling days.

The person who spent the past few years dreaming about retirement is now experiencing frustration due to not knowing what he wants to do. He was so focused on work accumulating money for retirement that he never took the time to find a hobby to occupy his mind or planning for an exit strategy. Compounding the problem, some of his friends are leaving the area.  

Fortuitously, I began writing long ago and always find it a joy to do. Over time, the blog developed into not only sharing my insights but collaborative ones, too, because it's not just about my insights that may work well for others. Community service is the centerpiece of my work.

‘Diverse and inclusive thinking embolden the solution.’

Similarly, many mistakenly believe; 'oh, I'll retire, and life will be good.' It takes effective planning and coming to terms with who we are, what we desire, and want to contribute back to society.  

Those willing to connect the dots for a fulfilling effort will continue their journey happily after gainful employment. Connecting with similar-minded people with a purpose and contributing to a community is the differentiator for enjoying the later stage of my career and attracting opportunities.

Should you be in the beginning stage of your career, you will do well to come to terms with where you are today and the status you eventually want to achieve.  As you create lists of goals for the near term and distant future, consider which efforts bring the most joy.  Consider the following:

·      Which efforts did you find the least enjoyable and why?

·      What do you want to avoid in the future if possible?

·      Is there a common element among the ones you like most?

Our journey throughout career and ‘retirement’ almost requires us to maintain a commitment to learning.  Keep in mind that the last thing you ever want to feel is being obsolete. Finding a community or hobby to your liking and interests is an excellent way to get started on your future journey.  Set a small portion of time aside to test before quitting your job so that you will have something to look forward to doing when you are ready to leave the work world.

“Believe you can and you will." - Elinor Stutz