I talk a lot about reflection and purpose. I believe in the importance of self-reflection.
Thinking about where we are, and the next steps, this is what my blog is all about for me. A tool for self-reflection - being able to look back while thinking about what's ahead. I took last month from the blog off, not only to recover from my 4th-foot surgery, but I took a vacation to re-energize and check-in. We spent time with our granddaughter, enjoyed the beautiful Maine weather, and also enjoyed one another.
By the way, it's 1:10 pm when I am writing this blog - how cool is that?
This month is about retirement and purpose (no, I am not announcing my retirement). What made me think about and decide to write about this topic, is that on my staycation while I was reflecting and people watching at the lake, I noticed how many retirees were hanging out. I am 58 - a lot of my peers are 60+ and starting to retire. I started to wonder about what the word "retirement" actually means so, of course, I Googled it. Most definitions meant the same thing: to pull away from and disengage. This too made me wonder, why does anyone retire if it means to step away... why does anyone want to disengage from their passion? Why would you want to "retire" if you know what it means? People who have things to do seem to be happier.
"When people are bored, they're disengaged from satisfying activity and more likely to become internally focused in a negative, ruminative cycle..." James Danckert, PhD, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Waterloo, said in an article by the American Phycological Assosciation.
This leads me to think about passion and purpose. What does purpose mean - that you have an intention and objective - you're doing something intentionally and there is a reason for what you are doing.
Why do I want to work way beyond the norm? The real reason I want to continue to work is for me, I thrive on the challenge of chasing opportunities and helping people, and celebrating success. I find my true joy in helping others so why wouldn't I want to continue to help people? It's the whole reason I wrote my book. I know my "why".
Now let me ask you, what is your reason... your purpose - what is your "why"?
Are you living your true purpose?
Does your work feed your passion?
Are you truly happy or would you disengage tomorrow if you could?
For managers, a great exercise is to ask your team what will make them want to jump out of bed and come to work every day. Then cultivate that in your work culture and help them see their purpose and how it connects with the company's vision of where you are going.
Know your purpose and do it your way. A way that makes you happy. Figure out your "why" and think about how you can bring out the best you in your situation - wherever that is. Find balance, reflect, and above all else always be true to yourself.
For managers, this is where you help bring out the "BEST" in your employees / team!
This lady isn't "retiring" anytime soon... I will always keep living my passion, engaged 110%, and be driven to succeed. I may not always be living my passion in the corporate world, but I am certainly not going to disengage!