By Caroline Hall
It’s never too early to dream about how to reinspire your life.
Last month, Sabrina Roblin and I gave a Life Reinspired presentation at Georgetown University Business School to a conference of MBA Career Management Professionals. Our focus, as usual, was the importance of thinking, dreaming, planning, and designing well in advance of making the leap into retirement. And our mission was to promote retirement-oriented programming for MBA alumni at least 25 years out.
Some of the conference participants were Baby Boomers and ripe for the “what’s next” conversation. Many of them were much younger—and all of them were enthusiastic about the exploration. We were reminded yet again that you don’t have to be of a certain age to find enormous value in taking stock of your life and what matters most. The conversations about values, purpose, passion, vision, Bucket List, and key relationships are as essential for those facing mid-career transitions as they are for their elders. And even fresh-minted young MBAs would do well to fold those ingredients into their career design mix.
I remember the day I graduated from college—completing the linear track through school—only to face a staggering array of possibilities and the terror that I’d make the wrong choices. I wish I had known then what I know now. Endings are challenging—even if it’s clearly time to move on. And the state of not knowing what’s next is so unsettling that many people rush into a huge commitment or renewed “busy-ness” without leaving ample time to dream, explore, and brainstorm their way to truly life-affirming choices. Part of what makes the waiting (for revelation) game more tolerable is to play it with others through conversations with peers that are as delightful as they are deep.
Imagine that an as-yet unwritten chapter of life lies dead ahead. Imagine trying to think your way through it all by yourself. Dreary. Or, imagine landing in your new life without a plan or structure around what’s next. Kind of a nightmare, eh?
Here’s another approach: imagine coming together with a group of peers who are facing the same challenges. Imagine learning from them and inspiring them in equal measure as you talk together about what matters most in this next stage of life. Imagine having this cadre of powerful thought partners continue to keep you company as you approach and begin your next chapter.
That last paragraph is actually what inspired Sabrina and me to launch the Life Reinspired process of discovery. We’re loving bringing this exploration to smart and seasoned MBA alumni—for what we get to learn as well as what we get to teach. And we believe that everyone benefits equally from the focus on what matters most in their lives. After all, there’s plenty of time left…but no time to spare.
Join us in this process of dreaming your life with Life Reinspired programs and workshops.
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