The program facilitator was generous with the time he allotted to the participants. It was an exercise to jot our individual 3-year and 5-year, short and medium-term plans. When done, we will do small group presentations. I found myself dumbfounded by the exercise. I kept staring at my large white sheet of paper, which had been passed out to all the participants, now sprawled on the carpeted floor of the hotel’s ballroom. I knew vaguely what I would do, but it was not a solid plan. I did not have a written plan. That was some years back. The exercise was part of an NLP certification program that I had flown to Bangkok to participate in. Left and right of me, others were doodling away their life plans, and I was stuck. There were others with their gazes stuck to the ceiling, but they looked sure. But for me, I was nervous and unsure.
I was in my fifties then. Retirement was on the horizon, perhaps still too far away to focus on. But then my career at that point was humming away. There was a certainty of a month-end check. I was doing ok in a multinational organization in senior management. Doing NLP was a check item on the must-do list. I had been wanting to do it for a while. The previous night, I had done a fire-walk as part of the program. Wow, was I proud of myself. But this morning, the mind was awakened to think intently on the uncertain future. If your career ended today, what would you be doing? I was nervously gazing at the fellow participants sprawled across the carpeted floor, each with their own sheet of paper. Towards the end of the allotted time, I rushed to put down the key big picture items that will happen. But I was not sure. It was not well thought through and will require a re-hatch.
I realized later that I had been a great employee who showed up for work every day and was rewarded for my diligence. There was a definition of ‘performance’, the targets were spelled out and there were some stretch goals too. I even knew what rewards I would get if I made those numbers. Business numbers for the self, the key team, and the company. Everything was already decided. My role was to manage the business organization, customer relationships, people, and activities to make ‘success’ happen. I was following somebody else’s plan for someone else’s success. Everything was about delivering shareholder returns, nothing in my vested interest. I had been in senior management for more than twenty years at that point in my career. I won’t say I was complacent. I had to work my butts off to get those numbers, but I was just getting used to the way things were, and how it worked out. In Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad, I was the ‘poor dad’ guy who was rewarded well enough to show up for work. I must confess that I had read the book years earlier, but it had not sunk in until that moment of awakening.
Months later, I got my NLP certification, but that morning in the hotel ballroom in Bangkok, the feeling of being stuck did not fade away for quite a while. When I showed up for work the following week, I was not quite the normal me. I realized that I was living another person’s success dream. I started planning an exit from my career to, what I can term, my measure of success and achievement, and how it would make me happy. It’s amazing what you can achieve when there is the certainty of direction and that you can see the finish line. For a start, you feel free. Life is a ‘work-in-progress’ project. I think I started a little late, but it was good that I started when I did. For sure some areas of my life could have been in better shape. But as Emile Coué will say – Every day in every way, I’m getting better and better.
You have to do the necessary footwork to move the needle. No grinding the ax for someone else. I bet you’ll be happy doing it.
My important takeaway from that morning was that regardless of career success you need a self plan, maybe a ‘be happy retired’ plan. If you don’t have a plan, you’ll just end up as part of someone else’s plan, no pun intended. With health care that is extending life expectancy and inflation that is catching us unaware, don’t count on your retirement savings alone to bail you out. Finances aside, and more importantly, what needs to happen to keep you happy in the later years. Consider all facets. It’s never too late to make adjustments and plan changes.
As you read earlier in this post, I was in my fifties. I wish someone jogged me earlier on this. I hope you would read this post as a trigger that moves you to take action. You can never be too busy to work on it, at least in steps. On the other hand, if you are on track on this topic, congratulations! What would you like to share with our readers? Do comment. I hope to hear from you.
