Developing and Nurturing Your Second Act

Guest post by Terry Matthews-Lombardo, CMP

Developing and Nurturing Your Second Act

If we’ve learned only one thing from the Pandemic Pandemonium of the past several years, it is to always have a backup plan. No matter your age or how secure your job was before the world turned upside down, the mere term “job security” may now have a new meaning in your life. And whether you are comfortable with that new definition is going to determine a lot as you-we all-continue to slog our way out of the COVID-19 career blues and into, well, whatever lies ahead.
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So, just a quick starter question here: In that super interesting book called “My Life in Paperback” (or, if you have loftier expectations, the hardcover version), do you know the whole plot? Because if you’re like the rest of us, we haven’t even got a clue about the next scene and the inevitable plot twists that will get us through that section. But, after surviving 2020 (the year in which many might have wrongfully been focused on that final chapter, aka The Big Finish), now might be an excellent time to rethink the rest of your story. 

Working On Your Second Act

I like to refer to this as working on your second act. You know, the one in which you actually take some time to plot out your story and perhaps plan ahead. Yes, that one! And good news here, it might not be as hard as you think. Here are some simple steps to get you started:
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Give some serious thought to your past before you attempt to enter the future

• Take the time to conduct a personal “life interview” with yourself and make a list of jobs or aspects of jobs that you enjoyed along with responsibilities you never want to be a part of again.
• Consider all your skill sets; not just the obvious ones pointing to your past employment. The coach is never going to put you in the lineup if he doesn’t know that you can swing a bat.

Cut yourself some slack and do some dreaming

• Have some fun with this task but be honest and keep it real. Don’t get me wrong, I like big dreams, too. But we’re talking about a potential pivot in your career path so, no matter your current age (or what your mother always told you about reaching for the stars), there are some obvious restrictions here.

Be intentional about how you want to grow your story from here

• Focus on your list of skills and see if anything points to one (or more) of your dreams. This may take some “connecting the dots” but at some point, you should start to see some obvious signs emerge.
• Think about outside factors (post-COVID) regarding your new direction and if you have any transferable skills that match up with the new reality of that industry.
• Look at your current professional network and don’t be afraid to phone a friend! Everyone gets lost at some point and now is the time to ask for guidance, referrals, and direction. 

Take the Leap!

Do the swivel, or the pivot. Heck, call it whatever you want. Whether you are forced into this life change or have the luxury of making this decision on your own terms, just make sure you take a step back before you try to leap too far forward all at one time, especially if your safety net is narrow. When considering any kind of a second act or side hustle, it’s important to prepare for whatever changes lie ahead and manage those expectations.  

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The author is currently still happy to be known first and foremost as a veteran Certified Meeting Professional but is doing a "gentle slide" into her own second act as a travel writer focusing on meetings and detours. This gives her the formal skillset of being able to make organization out of complete chaos as well as to write some pretty darn interesting stories about it after the guests have gone home. Her first book, Meetings Mayhem!, was published last fall and is a fun look at the chaos that goes on behind the scenes. www.terrysworldtravels.com

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