Mandy Hale said, “Change is painful, but nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.”

And, I would add that there’s no reason to stay stuck. In fact, you owe it to yourself to make the change that will get you unstuck.

How do I know?

Because I was there. Stuck in a career where I had stayed way past my expiration date. I was stressed out most of the time. My values weren’t in alignment with the government affairs/public affairs work I was doing. I felt like I was going to battle every day, which meant I felt the cloud of negativity over me from the moment my alarm clock went off and I opened my eyes.

I’m a Baby Boomer, which means I’m more prone to being a workaholic, my skills are an ingredient of my personal success, and I’m also more likely to have allowed my job or career to define my self-worth. 

In my case, my identity was very much wrapped up in my career.

Still, while I was still very passionate about the industry, the political fight wasn’t something I wanted to do any more. I was tired of the negativity, the divisiveness, and the way people treated each other in general.

It was time to move into a new chapter.

We had planned well for retirement from a financial perspective, but for the first time in my life I didn’t have a vision or a plan for how I would replace the status, recognition, and purpose that came with a decades-long, successful career. 

And, that was a mistake.

In the thick of my transition, I tried to figure it out on my own. But, the reality is that most everything you read about retirement and most conversations you have with others about retirement focuses on financial planning. (Just Google “Retirement Planning” and you’ll see what I’m talking about.)

I needed a retirement plan that focused on the whole person. My finances; my emotional, spiritual, and psychological well-being; my physical health; and my new identity and purpose (whatever that turned out to be). 

To do that, I first needed to reflect on my past, and dig deep to find my true, authentic self so I could use that identity in finding a new purpose. When I say find my true, authentic self, my true identity, I mean the one that is not wrapped up in the status, recognition and person I had become in my professional life.

How did I do that?

I started by unpacking my story. 

You see, I believe that every human being is on a transformational journey. And that journey is a story. Your story changes and evolves. As you move from one chapter to the next, it’s important to learn from your experiences and uncover your strengths, unique skills, interests, and talent.  

As I reflected on my chapters, I realized that the work I enjoyed most nurtured my creative spirit. While I’ve dabbled in art, quilt, and play classical piano (for my ears only), I truly love writing. 

You might be asking how a person in government affairs writes with a creative spirit. I’d probably be asking the same thing. But, here’s the thing. The creative process is rooted in both creative writing and technical writing. 

While writing in the corporate world is more technical in nature, it’s still writing for public consumption. Your creative mind has to be at its finest if you’re going to make it interesting, informative, factual, and understandable. Writing a technical document from a creative perspective takes skill and talent. I’ve been recognized numerous times for my writing, so I knew this was a skill and talent I could take into my next chapter.

So, that’s just one example of how you can uncover your talent so you can repackage it for a new chapter in your life story. You, on the other hand, may have a burning desire to follow the dreams you didn’t pursue earlier. You may have aspirations to complete your degree, learn a new language or instrument, become a gourmet chef, take acting lessons, or start your own business.

When you spend the time reflecting on each chapter of your life up to this point, you’ll have the foundation for a retirement plan or Next Chapter Plan™ that goes beyond finances. You’ll be in alignment with your values and your true, authentic self. You’ll be able to craft a plan with vision, goals and activities that not only play to your strengths but give you purpose. 

You’ll discover who you truly are without limitations. And, more importantly, you’ll realize that you are way more than who you thought you were in your career. You won’t be stuck, and you’ll be better able to embrace change because you’re designing and planning for it. 

Uncovering your truth is just one exercise I’ll walk you through in my Next Chapter Plan™ Academy. Doors open soon. You can get on the waitlist at christinestallard.com/waitlist. Be one of the first to know so you can start getting unstuck and planning for your next, best chapter.

And, I would add that there’s no reason to stay stuck. In fact, you owe it to yourself to make the change that will get you unstuck.

How do I know?

Because I was there. Stuck in a career where I had stayed way past my expiration date. I was stressed out most of the time. My values weren’t in alignment with the government affairs/public affairs work I was doing. I felt like I was going to battle every day, which meant I felt the cloud of negativity over me from the moment my alarm clock went off and I opened my eyes.

I’m a Baby Boomer, which means I’m more prone to being a workaholic, my skills are an ingredient of my personal success, and I’m also more likely to have allowed my job or career to define my self-worth. 

In my case, my identity was very much wrapped up in my career.

Still, while I was still very passionate about the industry, the political fight wasn’t something I wanted to do any more. I was tired of the negativity, the divisiveness, and the way people treated each other in general.

It was time to move into a new chapter.

We had planned well for retirement from a financial perspective, but for the first time in my life I didn’t have a vision or a plan for how I would replace the status, recognition, and purpose that came with a decades-long, successful career. 

And, that was a mistake.

In the thick of my transition, I tried to figure it out on my own. But, the reality is that most everything you read about retirement and most conversations you have with others about retirement focuses on financial planning. (Just Google “Retirement Planning” and you’ll see what I’m talking about.)

I needed a retirement plan that focused on the whole person. My finances; my emotional, spiritual, and psychological well-being; my physical health; and my new identity and purpose (whatever that turned out to be). 

To do that, I first needed to reflect on my past, and dig deep to find my true, authentic self so I could use that identity in finding a new purpose. When I say find my true, authentic self, my true identity, I mean the one that is not wrapped up in the status, recognition and person I had become in my professional life.

How did I do that?

I started by unpacking my story. 

You see, I believe that every human being is on a transformational journey. And that journey is a story. Your story changes and evolves. As you move from one chapter to the next, it’s important to learn from your experiences and uncover your strengths, unique skills, interests, and talent.  

As I reflected on my chapters, I realized that the work I enjoyed most nurtured my creative spirit. While I’ve dabbled in art, quilt, and play classical piano (for my ears only), I truly love writing. 

You might be asking how a person in government affairs writes with a creative spirit. I’d probably be asking the same thing. But, here’s the thing. The creative process is rooted in both creative writing and technical writing. 

While writing in the corporate world is more technical in nature, it’s still writing for public consumption. Your creative mind has to be at its finest if you’re going to make it interesting, informative, factual, and understandable. Writing a technical document from a creative perspective takes skill and talent. I’ve been recognized numerous times for my writing, so I knew this was a skill and talent I could take into my next chapter.

So, that’s just one example of how you can uncover your talent so you can repackage it for a new chapter in your life story. You, on the other hand, may have a burning desire to follow the dreams you didn’t pursue earlier. You may have aspirations to complete your degree, learn a new language or instrument, become a gourmet chef, take acting lessons, or start your own business.

When you spend the time reflecting on each chapter of your life up to this point, you’ll have the foundation for a retirement plan or Next Chapter Plan™ that goes beyond finances. You’ll be in alignment with your values and your true, authentic self. You’ll be able to craft a plan with vision, goals and activities that not only play to your strengths but give you purpose. 

You’ll discover who you truly are without limitations. And, more importantly, you’ll realize that you are way more than who you thought you were in your career. You won’t be stuck, and you’ll be better able to embrace change because you’re designing and planning for it. 

Uncovering your truth is just one exercise I’ll walk you through in my Next Chapter Plan™ Academy. Doors open soon. You can get on the waitlist at christinestallard.com/waitlist. Be one of the first to know so you can start getting unstuck and planning for your next, best chapter.

And, I would add that there’s no reason to stay stuck. In fact, you owe it to yourself to make the change that will get you unstuck.

How do I know?

Because I was there. Stuck in a career where I had stayed way past my expiration date. I was stressed out most of the time. My values weren’t in alignment with the government affairs/public affairs work I was doing. I felt like I was going to battle every day, which meant I felt the cloud of negativity over me from the moment my alarm clock went off and I opened my eyes.

I’m a Baby Boomer, which means I’m more prone to being a workaholic, my skills are an ingredient of my personal success, and I’m also more likely to have allowed my job or career to define my self-worth. 

In my case, my identity was very much wrapped up in my career.

Still, while I was still very passionate about the industry, the political fight wasn’t something I wanted to do any more. I was tired of the negativity, the divisiveness, and the way people treated each other in general.

It was time to move into a new chapter.

We had planned well for retirement from a financial perspective, but for the first time in my life I didn’t have a vision or a plan for how I would replace the status, recognition, and purpose that came with a decades-long, successful career. 

And, that was a mistake.

In the thick of my transition, I tried to figure it out on my own. But, the reality is that most everything you read about retirement and most conversations you have with others about retirement focuses on financial planning. (Just Google “Retirement Planning” and you’ll see what I’m talking about.)

I needed a retirement plan that focused on the whole person. My finances; my emotional, spiritual, and psychological well-being; my physical health; and my new identity and purpose (whatever that turned out to be). 

To do that, I first needed to reflect on my past, and dig deep to find my true, authentic self so I could use that identity in finding a new purpose. When I say find my true, authentic self, my true identity, I mean the one that is not wrapped up in the status, recognition and person I had become in my professional life.

How did I do that?

I started by unpacking my story. 

You see, I believe that every human being is on a transformational journey. And that journey is a story. Your story changes and evolves. As you move from one chapter to the next, it’s important to learn from your experiences and uncover your strengths, unique skills, interests, and talent.  

As I reflected on my chapters, I realized that the work I enjoyed most nurtured my creative spirit. While I’ve dabbled in art, quilt, and play classical piano (for my ears only), I truly love writing. 

You might be asking how a person in government affairs writes with a creative spirit. I’d probably be asking the same thing. But, here’s the thing. The creative process is rooted in both creative writing and technical writing. 

While writing in the corporate world is more technical in nature, it’s still writing for public consumption. Your creative mind has to be at its finest if you’re going to make it interesting, informative, factual, and understandable. Writing a technical document from a creative perspective takes skill and talent. I’ve been recognized numerous times for my writing, so I knew this was a skill and talent I could take into my next chapter.

So, that’s just one example of how you can uncover your talent so you can repackage it for a new chapter in your life story. You, on the other hand, may have a burning desire to follow the dreams you didn’t pursue earlier. You may have aspirations to complete your degree, learn a new language or instrument, become a gourmet chef, take acting lessons, or start your own business.

When you spend the time reflecting on each chapter of your life up to this point, you’ll have the foundation for a retirement plan or Next Chapter Plan™ that goes beyond finances. You’ll be in alignment with your values and true, authentic self. You’ll be able to craft a plan with vision, goals and activities that not only play to your strengths but give you purpose. 

You’ll discover who you truly are without limitations. And, more importantly, you’ll realize that you are way more than who you thought you were in your career. You won’t be stuck, and you’ll be better able to embrace change because you’re designing and planning for it. 

Uncovering your truth is just one exercise I’ll walk you through in my Next Chapter Plan™ Academy. Doors open soon. Get on the waitlist here and be one of the first to know so you can start getting unstuck and planning for your next, best chapter.