When I was in my mid-40s, I began to think about the next stage of my life. My boys were approaching or in college, my career was going well, and I took the plunge and hired a financial advisor to help me plot my “retirement”. Trust me, this was one of the best things I’ve ever done. His approach was and still is about my lifestyle, my emotional state of being, the security of the boys and my quest for doing something meaningful and satisfying. He asked all the right questions that helped build a vision for how I wanted to exit the Corporate World. I came to think of this as “Operation Snagglepuss”.
Now for those of you too young to remember Snagglepuss, he always exited stage left or right or sometimes both, but nonetheless, he exited in grand style with passion and enthusiasm. That’s how I wanted to approach this next phase of life and so he became my mental side kick. Why not? We both look good in hot pink!
Now the first thing my advisor did for me was offer to pay for a day long workshop provided by a then-fledgling company called The 3rd Act. While not expensive, I’m honestly not sure I would have gone if he hadn’t paid for it . . . and what a mistake that would have been. That day and the subsequent circle of women that continued to meet over the next year or so truly helped set me on a course of continual reflection and goal setting. So when I opted to leave the Corporate World last July, it was the culmination of planning and thought over time. While it was a bit earlier than originally planned, it was emotionally and physically the exact right time for me to, indeed, exit stage left.
A year later
Here I am a year later and I can honestly say it’s been the most incredible year. I’ve traveled unfettered and fancy free. I’ve renewed my spirit and finally caught up on sleep! I’ve discovered a new career path through coaching and I’ve consciously re-entered the Corporate World as a consultant supporting some amazing and interesting teams.
Most of all, I found my voice. Through the encouragement of friends and family from around the world, I began to write; at times painfully slow and awkwardly difficult yet deeply satisfying and a ton of fun. And now, there’s no turning back.
The life I’ve created over the past year involved more than one leap of faith and will continue to evolve but I’ve learned to follow my heart. For those of you at that stage of life where you are contemplating your 3rd act, I wish you all the energy, passion and fun that my dear Snagglepuss exudes. I can hear him as he encourages you, “Heavens to Murgatroyd, don’t delay! Start your vision today, take time to reflect and trust the process even!”
Your transition to your 3rd act awaits you.
