| When you talk about retiring, do you say you plan to | | | | for two or more decades? There's a good chance |
| retire in five years? Have you been saying you plan | | | | you're just plain running on empty. especially if you |
| to retire in five years for five (or more) years? | | | | love your job. When was the last time you felt filled |
| You're not alone. Many of my friends and the people | | | | to overflowing refreshed, recharged and ready |
| I meet as I travel around the country are all "retiring | | | | for a new adventure? If you're too fried to care, it's |
| in five years" -- and they have been for years. I'm | | | | time to fill up your tank and drive out of town. |
| not sure why five years seems to be the magic | | | | 4. You're downsized. Congratulations! The Universe |
| years-from-retirement number, but I'm certain that | | | | has given you a great big push out the door into the |
| one of the primary reasons for keeping retirement a | | | | wonderful world of possibility. Instead of heading for |
| moving target is the not knowing when it's the right | | | | the nearest Sun City, or worse yet, diving right back |
| time to say goodbye to your career. | | | | into the same job in a different place, take a deep |
| Retirement is not about retiring from life. It's about | | | | breath and be honest with yourself. Haven't you |
| retiring the part or parts of your life that no longer | | | | been ready for a big change for a long time, but |
| fit. It's time to retire your current work life when: | | | | were afraid to take the leap? Sure it's scary, but did |
| 1. You've outgrown it. When you began your career, | | | | you know that physiologically you experience fear |
| I'll bet you couldn't wait to get out of bed in the | | | | and excitement exactly the same way in your body? |
| morning and get to work. Your job stretched you | | | | So, choose to be excited about this opportunity, and |
| and helped you grow. You learned new skills, | | | | decide that it's time to breathe life into that long |
| overcame challenges, and gained confidence. But, | | | | dormant dream of yours. Go for it! |
| when was the last time you were truly excited about | | | | 5. Your IGS is telling you it's time. Your IGS is your |
| your work? I have a theory that the first 10 years | | | | Internal Guidance System. It's like the GPS in your |
| of a career are about being challenged and gaining | | | | car, only better. It's solid gold and it will never, ever |
| mastery, and the second 10 years are a slow slide | | | | steer you in the wrong direction. It's that hunch, small |
| into boredom. Not to say that there isn't always | | | | voice, intuition, gut feel, or deep inner knowing you've |
| more you can learn or more you can master, but tell | | | | been ignoring. You know -- the one you've been |
| the truth. If the challenge is gone, and you've grown | | | | ignoring that's letting you know you just can't keep |
| far beyond the confines of the job, it's time to find a | | | | doing what you're doing. It doesn't matter what you |
| better fit. | | | | call it. What matters is that you begin to listen to it, |
| 2. You're too comfortable. Okay, you've got a nice | | | | and learn to trust it. So often I meet women who |
| job, the money and benefits are good, and you | | | | can't define why it's time to move on, they just |
| move through each day with no heavy lifting. It's | | | | know it is. And, you wouldn't believe how many |
| been so long since you've experienced the outer | | | | clients have come to me over the years to create a |
| limits of your comfort zone that you're basically | | | | 12-18 month exit strategy from their current work, |
| phoning it in each day. Just how comfortable is that | | | | only to be downsized within two to six months. |
| comfort zone you're zoning out in? If it feels like | | | | That's the IGS working! |
| you're flat lining, it's not comfort you're experiencing, | | | | Remember that retiring from you current work life is |
| but a slow death every day, and it's definitely time | | | | not a death sentence, but at last, the freedom to |
| to head for the door. | | | | live. So trust your IGS, and take Agnes Gooch's |
| 3. You're burnt out. Have you been a high-powered | | | | advice from Auntie Mame, and "live, live, live! |
| professional or in one of the care-giving professions | | | | |