Redefining Ourselves

At a retirement seminar, the people attending were asked to list ten things they enjoyed about their jobs. Many grumbled that they hated their jobs and there was "No Way" they could find ten. But once they got going, they discovered that there were lots of pleasant aspects. Working outdoors, or meeting new people, or solving problems, or bringing order to chaos.

Then they were asked to list the top three things of those ten. Those were the things that mattered to them as people, not workers at a job. This broadened their view of who they were. "I'm a truck driver" became "I love driving heavy machines, being my own boss, and being outdoors." "I'm a sales rep" became "I love being with people and finding exactly the right thing for them." "I'm an engineer" became "I love designing things and making them work right."

Then they were asked how they might bring these aspects of themselves into their retirement.

This was brilliant. It gave the participants a way to see what they loved and valued and redefine themselves accordingly.