There used to be a traditional roadmap of life: learn till early adulthood, earn till early elderhood, and “adjourn” (retire) till your funeral. Life was prescribed just like a doctor gave you a script.
However, this roadmap of adulthood has disintegrated as there’s no one path anymore, and there are often many more hills and valleys. This new reality is why we must learn how to become our own mapmakers—a cartographer of our hearts.
As Anne Loehr’s quote suggests, we need to become more intentional about uncovering our various purposes in life (of course, we can have more than one) while also getting clearer on our values.
When I was born, the average person had four jobs in a lifetime. Today, the average person has 12-13 jobs, so we better know how to scout the wilderness with our purpose and values as the roadmap.
Marci Alboher is one of the leading global thought leaders on reimagining and repurposing one’s career in midlife and beyond. She’s a popular MEA faculty member who will be teaching “The Courage to ReLaunch: Recreate Your Career on Your Terms” May 14-21 in Baja. Her workshops always fill up, so if you’re wondering about your career path, you might want to sign up now.