Living Forward: Purposeful Choices, Lasting Impact

“Which Way?” – 2010

Ruby–throated Hummingbird 

Grand Teton National Park, WY

 Empowered Choices Forge a Life of Freedom

The time to move forward from your professional role is approaching.

Your vision for the next phase is becoming more clear.

You are increasingly confident that the ideas you have imagined are ready to take shape.

Your smile reflects the joy of anticipation.

You take a slow, intentional breath that underscores the pride you feel for what you have accomplished.

You sense deeply that the life you are designing now is one you have truly earned.

To that, I say: Well earned, well deserved.

New Horizons, New Insights

This is your season to dream, plan and experience your new lifestyle. As you do so, you will probably experience a variety of profound feelings. 

You may experience relief and joy for what you will soon be leaving behind as well as a sense of loss and the grief that accompanies it. For most, it is usually not one or the other. It is common for these feelings to coexist.

Looking forward can also bring conflicting feelings. For many, there is real excitement about what is to come. You may also experience anxiety of the unknown. This is a natural experience.

Who You Are Will Guide You

So, how can you navigate it all with confidence?

In the course of your long career you have developed a variety of skills, experience and wisdom. These have enormous practical value as you apply them to the many choices you will need to make.

So, trust and be yourself.

The choices are many and sometimes may seem unrelated. But, for the most part, the choices you make and their consequences will commonly converge to affect one experience of this major phase of your life.

That experience is your sense of freedom. 

More importantly, it is about your understanding and believing the degree to which you are now empowered to experience that freedom. To be more specific, your sense of how that freedom manifests itself in the choices you make that affect your life and that of your loved ones.

As you consider the many choices you will make, it is critical to have a clear understanding of Who you are, your character. In a previous article, I discussed how this sense of Who you are is very different from What your career has been. 

It is also essential to have a clear conviction of your purpose in life and how it manifested itself in the past and will in your future.

Clarity and conviction about this will greatly empower you as you make important decisions.

This will have a direct, beneficial impact on your personal fulfillment, happiness and well-being.

The fullness of your life will also directly impact the quality of life that your loved ones experience.

You will continue to be relevant to yourself and to others near and far as your example of success becomes a part of what they will someday model.

The Discipline of Discernment

 One of the most powerful aspects of this new phase is the freedom to use your time as you choose.

The opportunities will be many. So will the requests from others.

As you navigate daily choice, both large and small, keep this essential principle in mind:

What you choose not to do is just as important as what you choose to do.

The cumulative impact of many minor decisions is, indeed, major. 

You have my compliments and encouragement as you pursue a life of sustained joy and meaning, in ways that continue to reflect your identity and purpose.

PS: Would you like to learn more about how to transition successfully from your career? I provide services to physicians, non-medical professionals, corporate executives, businessmen and entrepreneurs that are tailored to their specific needs. Click here to request an introductory conversation.

If you would like to learn about another way that I can guide you, check out this brief video that describes my unique online course: 

The Practice Transition Course for Physicians. _TM    

“Golden Splendor” – 2006

Idaho