Now What?

Making a career change is one thing, but being downsized out of a job is another. If you are a person who has decided to retire, then it is a completely different and challenging question. It does not matter how old you are or what your work has been, it is all going to change, drastically.

I am the same person I was when this happened to me in the Spring of 2022. I worked in this office for over 10 years. During that time I moved the office from one location to another, hired countless people, paid everyone, ordered all the supplies, attending the meetings, powered through weather challenges, you name it, I handled it. Now I have to take a person half my age and tell her how I did it, all. Some days were harder than others, but it is done. It was not so easy to give the owner the keys, but that was what had to be done. Ok, here are the keys, I am done.

But as the title of this piece says, 'now what?' This is the hard part. What do you do when you have to totally change how you live, what you do each day and what do you not do? My therapist tells me that I have to figure that part out now. It is not an instant fix. No matter your age, this process takes time and lots of input from others. Based on what I have done in my life, I really have no idea how to start. Let's examine what I am talking about: I am an only child; all of my parents have died; I am a college graduate; I have an essay published in a book; I have a website established. All good things, no doubt, but what do you do with all of the aforementioned stuff. It is all old news. Time to create something new and wonderful, problem is, I have no idea what that will be or how it gets done.

I have scheduled some workshops, some travel and met some new friends. What I have noticed is that there is not a book to read or workshop to take to help me with my journey. Nothing new for me here, either. I have always had to find my own way to get most things done. I am in the process of that now. I have noticed that I am sad. That is a very new emotion for me. I do still go out and meet people and have dinner, but there is sadness in all of that. I have to fix this. Sadness did not come to live with me and I am not giving him a seat at the table. But how do you do that, without any help?

What have I lost and what have I gained in this situation? Most people would say to focus on what I am gaining. I am gaining time to do whatever I want to do, any time. I can stay home, read a book, watch television, go for a walk, whatever I chose. Problem for me is how to decide what to do. I have to remake my day, my week, my life, but how? This is a huge job for anyone and when you are older, it is even harder.

I still have to answer the question "who am I". I recently asked a few people who have gotten to know me, casually, to use three words to describe me. Their words were kind, charismatic and intelligent. Nice words, but what does a person do with them. That is where I am as you read this piece. As an only child, I learned how to be happy by myself. Social connections are a large part of what makes me a person. I love being with people. Now I have to figure that out, in a new work setting.

Follow me in 2023 to figure out how I managed to change my attitude and life to make it much more fun and begin to find my way in the world.