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Out of Gas:
Refueling Your Passion and Purpose Post Employment
Have all the changes and turmoil over the pandemic years left you feeling out of gas? Are you a little lost and uncertain how to proceed with the rest of your life? Did you leave your job recently as part of The Great Resignation, and now perhaps feeling regret? Are you stagnating in the Disillusionment stage of retirement, even if you are projecting to your friends, family and former co-workers that "Life is Bliss" while only pretending to be happy?
If so, I’ll be discussing a pathway to refueling your passion and purpose post employment. Every crisis presents both danger and opportunity, and as the world slowly reawakens and starts turning again, it’s evident that many creative solutions are emerging to work smarter and work beyond the traditional workplace. In this report, I will provide some tools and to help you reconnect with your passion and purpose, so that you can find your way back to a fulfilling life journey.
Forge Your New Identity
When you're no longer employed and but too young to call yourself retired, at least not in the traditional sense, you have a unique opportunity to forge a new identity. At Victory Horizon, we call our customers “Classics” and our clients “Co-Lab-Orators”. This speaks to the idea that when you are no longer employed, you have the freedom to explore, experiment, and be vocal about your passions and purpose in life. And that you don’t have to conform to any traditional definitions of how the rest of your life should be lived.
Unlike retirement, where you may feel a sense of obligation to conform to a certain image, being neither an “employee” or traditional “retiree" gives you the freedom to live the life you want. You don’t have to dive into being an entrepreneur either, because typically they work longer hours than employees and can often fall into the trap of being owned by their business, instead of the other way around. Instead, you can choose to invest your time based on your risk tolerance, or you can lean forward out of your comfort zone to explore new opportunities. Regardless of your approach, the idea is to create a life that you love and find meaningful.
A clear way to get started is to create your own personal vision statement. This can help you focus on what matters most to you and define your goals. From there, you can begin to build a plan of action and start to reclaim your passion and purpose.
Being "out of gas" doesn't have to be a bad thing. It can be the start of something great. In fact, it is part of the natural process of dealing with grief and change. No matter how you feel about your former career (regret or relief), there are likely things you miss and thinks you look back on fondly. By taking the time to reflect on the positives in the process of forging a new identity, you can find yourself refueled and ready to take on the world.
Find What MOVEs You
Finding your passion and purpose post-employment can be a daunting task. But it doesn't have to be. You can take control of your post-career trajectory with a Mission Oriented Visionary Endeavor, or MOVE. This concept, stemming from the work of Steven Kotler at the Flow Research Collective, is based on the idea that passion is a combination of two elements: Autotelic Experience and Clarity of Purpose.
Autotelic Experience is the feeling of joy that comes from engaging in a task for its own sake, without the expectation of an external reward. This could be anything from writing a poem to mastering a new skill. Autotelic experiences are important for finding what truly motivates you and ignites your passion.
Clarity of Purpose is the ability to define and pursue a goal. Once you have identified what MOVEs you, you can start to gain clarity and focus on what you want to do next.
Steven Kotler’s Passion Recipe involves a five-step process to help you find your passion and purpose:
- Recall the autotelic experiences from your life and career that gave you the most satisfaction. Make list of 25 things, and be as specific as possible.
- Identify the common themes among them and the skills you possess that allowed you to experience those moments.
- Take the time to play with those themes, 10-20 minutes a day, for 21 days to hone your expertise and develop a narrative for yourself.
- Join a meet-up or online group to practice, get feedback and social reinforcement.
- Write down a list of 15 problems that intersect with what MOVEs you and develop a plan of action to pursue your passions and purpose.
By following the Passion Recipe, you can gain clarity and focus on what you want to do next. So, get out there and find what MOVEs you!
About Victory Horizon
Victory Horizon is a collective of renegade Co-Lab-Orators and Classic individuals backed by an Artificial Intelligence-powered Blueprint that provides passive income streams for our associates.
Victory Horizon is designed to generate steady and reliable income streams for its clients without many of the headaches associated with entrepreneurial activities.
With Victory Horizon, leveraging your personal skills, knowledge, expertise and passions, coupled with billions of success models, you can enjoy a comfortable second half of your lives.
You are not done...Not yet! More Adventure and Victory Awaits over the Horizon!
Prepare For Adversity
After leaving employment, it may seem like you have reached a dead end in your journey. You may feel like you are out of gas and unable to move forward. But this does not need to be the case. With the right attitude and preparation, you can refuel your passion and purpose and get back on track.
First, understand that a setback is only temporary and that you can always move forward. Even when faced with adversity, you can still come out of it stronger and more resilient. Take time to reflect on what you want and how you can get back on track. This can include looking at your skillset, interests, and goals and determining what kind of pursuit or endeavor will best suit you.
Also take time to reflect on what challenges you’ve overcome in the past, and what you did to move past them. This will provide insight on your inherent strengths and abilities that you can always rely on. It will also help you realize what you have the capacity to achieve and how you can best utilize this to reach your goals.
When preparing to find new opportunities, adopt a learner’s mindset and allow yourself to make mistakes, even at this stage of your life. This can help you stay open to new experiences and allow you to better understand what you truly want.
With the right attitude and preparation, you can fuel your passion and purpose, and reach the next level in your post-career journey.
Pave Your ROAD to Success
Once you have your identity, determined what MOVEs you, and have the environmental awareness and mindset to detect and overcome obstacles, you are ready to plan out your route and get moving. To get where you are going quickly and efficiently, you need to pave the ROAD to success.
ROAD stands for: Reduce, Optimize, Automate and Delegate.
- Reduce or delete any unnecessary actions and distractions. This could be anything from watching too much TV, checking your phone non-stop, or being too involved on social media.
- Optimize processes and systems regularly. This could include setting up routines and habits that help you stay organized and productive.
- Automate as many processes as possible, using tools and technology. This could include using email marketing platforms to send automated emails, or using project management software to keep track of your tasks. AI can also help create draft content for you, like business plans, resumes, blog posts, etc.
- Delegate any actions that do not need your direct involvement. You do not have to pursue your goals alone. You can outsource tasks that are not part of your core expertise, or that you simply don’t have the time to do.
By following the ROAD to success, you can start to refuel your passion and purpose. This will enable you to find a new direction in life, and to create a fulfilling career that you can be proud of.
So, what are you waiting for? Get on the ROAD to success, and start fueling your passion and purpose today!
Cultivate Your Tribe
Once upon a time, not that long ago, tribal elders were greatly esteemed and important members of society, and perhaps the time has come for that role to return to prominence. Technology has evolved to the point where communities are not limited by geography--it is fairly easy to find a group online that has common interests and goals.
Remote workers and recent retirees share some similar challenges, particularly the tendency to feel isolated and disconnected from their peers. But in order to stay motivated, inspired, and on track with our passions and purpose, it is important to cultivate relationships with those who share our values.
One of the best ways to start doing this is to find and join a community of people who share your passions and values. Look for groups in your area or online that you can connect with. This can be a great way to stay motivated, collaborate, and learn from those who have been through similar experiences.
It is also important to find ways to meet with some members of your tribe in person. Whether it’s a weekly coffee date, a monthly book club, or a quarterly potluck—take advantage of the opportunity to connect beyond the Zoom window. Not only will this help you stay motivated, it will also provide a much needed break from the isolation of remote work or retirement.
Finally, find an accountability partner. This could be a friend, family member, or even a professional coach. Find someone who will keep you on track with your goals and help you stay focused and inspired. Having someone to check in with regularly can be a great way to stay motivated and make sure you are living your best life. At Victory Horizon, we are planning regular “rallies”, where participants will attend in pairs (pilots and navigators), and in person whenever possible, because often times, people will learn as much from other attendees as they will from the event coordinator.
No matter where you are in your career or retirement journey, it is important to remember that you are not alone. With a little effort, you can create a tribe of passionate, purpose-driven people who will help you stay motivated and inspired.
Set Goals and Take Daily Deliberate Action
Once you are in motion, it is important to keep moving and gaining momentum. And sometimes, despite all the planning in the world, you can find yourself feeling off-course or your Victory Horizon obscured by fog.
So what do you do? Likely, the next step you need to take hasn’t been broken down to a small enough task. Or there is some fear or limiting belief that is keeping you from following through.
If it is the first thing, keep chipping away at the task until the steps to accomplish it are ridiculously miniscule. Example: Turn on your computer. Then, open a document window. Then type, Dear Reader. Then write one sentence. Then write another. And keep going.
If there is a fear or limiting belief that is halting your progress, trick yourself into thinking that the task is already done and envision what you would be doing next. Then break that next step down until you have devised an alternate path forward. It’s possible that the thing that you perceived as an obstacle wasn’t really in your path at all. There is always another way.
Always break down the plan down into smaller, achievable chunks that can be accomplished within two hours or less. Then, take intentional daily action to move closer to your desired outcome. For example, every day, identify the one thing you can do that will get you the closest to your desired outcome. This is your daily major MOVE.
Finally, determine the time of day that you are most productive, and protect that time for getting your daily major MOVE done. Whether it’s the morning, afternoon, or evening, use that time to focus on the one thing that will move you closer to your goals.
It’s time to refuel. Set goals and take daily deliberate action to get back on track and pursue your passions and purpose after employment.
It can be easy to feel lost and without purpose after leaving a job or career. The key is to remember that you have a unique set of skills and passions that are worth exploring. This can be done through activities such as travel, volunteering, or even starting a business. The world is your oyster, and you can use this opportunity to discover yourself, your passions, and your purpose. No matter what you choose to do, never forget that you have the power to create the life you want and to find fulfillment and joy in the journey.
About the author
After a 37 year career of Government service, delivering framework and media processing solutions, providing system engineering, project management and leadership expertise, Troy Heiner launched Victory Horizon in 2023 as way to continue to be of service to knowledge workers making major transitions in their careers, including transitioning to post-employment endeavors.
Troy spent the last four years of his career as a Organizational Hiring Lead, conducting Focus Groups for mid-career employees, and directing a Mid-Career Technical Leadership Development program and a Summer Internship program for Computer Science and Cybersecurity students at the undergraduate, graduate and doctorate levels. He also formally and informally mentored dozens of Government employees, helping them attain promotions and land positions of greater responsibility and authority
Troy now lives in Palmetto, Florida with his wife, Kristin, his adult work-from-home children, and his snowbird mother (when it is not baseball season). He enjoys going to baseball games and concerts in his spare time, and is looking forward to many more travels in his "retirement".
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