Taking stock of everything in the New Year

Now what? WSG 94

If you’re reading this you are most likely over 45 (or 50, but who’s counting) and female. There is a strong male following at WSG, too and why not? We are pretty fun! If I am on target in my assumption above then I am guessing you are thinking about what you are doing with your life about now. It is the beginning of a new year, a good time to take stock of everything. But there are some realities we cannot ignore in our age bracket, time is worth a lot more than money. Personally, that makes me take a hard look at how I am spending my time. What about you? Do you find yourself thinking “now what?!”

“This” could mean anything.

Not that you walk around all day asking yourself “now what!?” But, in between your many time sucks is a moment that you might say to yourself:

Why am I doing this?

Am I happy doing this?

Does it make other people happy that I am doing this?

How long do I want to keep doing this?

Why am I still doing this?

Is this the best use of my time?

And then, there’s this:

I have 20 years left to do physically fun and challenging things and that is a generous estimate by ten years.

I did not think this way ten years ago.

I do not like having to think about the mortality of my parents.

I do not like thinking about the mortality of my husband, our families or my own.

What actionable steps can I take?

What prompted this outburst of introspection??

I was walking with a friend around the bridges here in Boston. It was snowing hard but with little wind it felt warm and wasn’t slippery. We walked and talked and towards the end I said to her, “I don’t know if what I am doing now is what I should be spending so much time on. I’m driven to write and to paint, but perhaps my time might be better spent on something that helps others more directly. Perhaps I should be more engaged with people, directly?”

I have a thing about volunteering at Mass General Hospital. “you can do all three!” she said. Maybe, I thought. Then I thought about my family, parents, kids, they will need more time. They deserve more time. We will be going to visit kids and family more now that we have no need to be stuck in one place. Huh. We don’t have to stay where we are. Hmmm. After I had my searching moment, she had her’s.

A bit of background: She went back to grad school around 2013 just before her kids went to Middle School. Now her kids are in college and out and my friend has a job at a revered institution in Boston doing exactly what she trained for…well done! But. She isn’t feeling it anymore. Her work is very screen intensive and though it is at a place of work, it’s isolating. Ten years ago, she may have stuck with it and felt an obligation to the job and loyalty to the goals of the team. In her mid 50s, though, she asks herself: What am I doing this for?

If I was thinking what she was thinking, then a lot of you must be thinking the same thing!

Let’s talk about it!

Are you happy with what you are doing now? Are you changing what you have been doing for a long time? Why? tell us…