Sense of Purpose
For me, life without a sense of purpose is very empty.
Throughout most of my life (I am now 60) I have worked in high stress jobs – leading global teams and de escalating conflicts between customer and supplier.
I have always been THE go to person when difficult situations need calming down.
But now after all of those years I find myself having to define my own purpose in life.
I am without doubt very lucky. Throughout my fight with cancer my employer has supported me in every way possible – this is a luxury that many people do not have.
The upside of such great support is that I have few worries outside of those related to cancer (is it still growing? Will the side effects of chemotherapy ever go away?….), but the downside is that I have too much free time on my hands.
It is great to be able to have 10 more minutes in bed in the morning knowing that your email box hasn’t overflowed during the night. It’s also great to know that you won’t be called into an escalation meeting with top management of one of the world’s largest car manufacturers
BUT…it’s also like waking up on Christmas morning and finding that Santa Claus hasn’t visited. You’re left feeling unwanted and unloved.
I am actually having quite a hard time accepting this new norm but I also realise that I am very lucky to be in this situation. I am a few years away from retirement and by the time I get there it’s now more obvious than ever that I need a sense of purpose outside of the workplace to keep me occupied and motivated after retirement.
With this in mind I will start Steering the Future by investigating the requirements needed to become a professional leadership coach and mentor. Coaching is something I enjoy doing and many people have told me that I am good at it, so finding my purpose and helping other people to develop at the same time is a win-win situation..
It’s easy to sit and feel sorry for myself but that will ultimately lead to a lonely and empty life – something I want to avoid at all costs.
I will let you know how I progress with my desire to become a professional leadership coach and mentor in future blog posts
Best wishes,
Richard
5 things I am thankful for –
- The kindness of my employer
- The recognition that I need to change something
- Sunshine
- The knowledge I have gained throughout my life
- Each new day