In 2023, I’m focusing on questions.
This idea came from a variety of sources I’ve been diving into lately. It was discussed in a book I was recently reintroduced to called A More Beautiful Question and in a course I recently took.
In another book I read, The Highest Goal by Michael Ray, he talked about not focusing so much on goals but on questions. Ray calls these questions “live withs.”
I’ve been drawn to this idea of using questions rather than goals because too many of us tend to race to one answer or the other. Doing that just narrows our field of vision. I don’t think our goal should be to see how many answers we can find but, rather, to ask good questions.
Last week on Creating Your Encore Career, I dove into this topic. Today, I want to share what I spoke about there, including some of the questions I’m asking myself in 2023 both regarding my personal and business life.
My Personal Questions
The first personal question I’m asking myself is what I want my life to look like. One way I’m answering this is by scheduling my “off” or free time this year. I’m also looking at things at a more granular level by really drilling down and planning what I want things to look like, from my relationships to my health
Secondly, I’m asking myself how/where I can serve with the greatest value. I’m learning more about what people want, need, and don’t even know yet. I want to be more curious this year.
Finally, I’m asking myself how I can make this a reality. Firstly, I’ll be working on using “tiny habits” to help me make these things a reality. Secondly, I’ll be learning new technologies, including video.
Business Questions
I also have various business questions I’m thinking through and planning for in 2023. The first is how will I use my knowledge of transitions and developing purpose to help people? Here are some of the things I’ve come up with:
I gained new insights from the two Modern Elder Academy courses I took that I will share with others in 2023.
I’ve also been reading articles about the Stanford Distinguished Careers Institute where I learned the three key factors in success: well-being, community, and purpose.
I’ve been learning about the various stages we go through in life. There is a pre-retirement stage that can be filled with a lot of confusion and transition. That's one of the things I hope to help people minimize.
I want to help people move from a victim mindset to that of a person with agency.
Financial planners play a huge role in transitions like these and can be utilized to help people grow their Encore Careers.
Secondly, I’m asking what key skills and technologies are needed for an Encore Career? I’ve come up with the following list:
People skills
Tech skills
Business and marketing skills
Volunteer skills
Health skills
Being a “mentern”
Seeking co-generational opportunities
Finally, I’m asking myself how I’m going to put more definition into what a Portfolio Career looks like.
The whole idea of a Portfolio Career is to reinvent the work you’re doing. It doesn't have to just be one thing that you did in your corporate career. It may be something you did on the side or a mix of things.
Sometimes these things will produce income and sometimes they will just be your passion. I want to help people figure out how to work for passion, pleasure, and profit. I want to help people be “scrappy.”
This is what I’m focusing on in 2023 and I’m excited to continue sharing it with all of you as time goes on!
