Recently, I had a conversation with a friend who, while knowing he doesn’t want to retire, does want to slow down. He listed the tasks he no longer has passion for and would love to remove from his workload.
I asked him whether he’d ever written down exactly what he does want—what his ideal life would look like, acknowledging that he expects to continue working for an undetermined time. He liked my idea and told me he would try to create such a document.
Two weeks later, we had dinner together, and he told me that he had taken my advice and written out his thoughts. In addition to work, he discovered that he was excited about learning to play the piano and studying religion on a deeper level. The expression on his face was one of excitement, and I couldn’t help but smile.
Sometimes, when you don’t know what to do or you’re stuck, try turning the question around and approaching it from a different direction. Putting it in writing (and I don’t mean on the computer) has a certain “magic” that brings your thoughts and feelings to life from your brain to your fingers.
Thoughts?
