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What’s Next?How To Make Life Work, After A Life Time Of Work

Navigating Your Encore™

John MeekerTrail Guide and Advisor

My Best Advise is START

• Clarify your goals

• Find and work with a “Trail Mate”

• Start new beginnings working on own terms

• Dive deep, find treasures and share them

• Give back to communities

How To Start

Tools to Move Forward

• Practical steps to start – right awayo Set your own goalso Use your strengthso Travel with Trail Mates

• The Tools Should be Good For:o Those who are traveling in circles               o Trail Guides - figuring out how to cross a rivero Trail Mates – exploring and/or lost o Pioneers with Wagon Train

Use the tools you have and figure it out!

Practical Tools

Why Clients Hire Me as a Trail Guide and Advisor

• I am John Meeker

• I work with non-profit and for profit clients

• My clients hire me to guide them to learn practical ways to: o Start New Beginningso Work on Their Own Termso Give Back to their Communities

• This is How to Navigate your Encore!™

Why Me?

My Experience and Credentials

• Control Data – Pioneer Computer Based Training• Minnesota Education Computer Corp

o The Oregon Trail o Where in The World is Carmen San Diego

• Carolina - Chaplain and Head of Residence Life• Michigan – Coordinator of Speakers• Retained National Search Practice with Education

Technology clients• Writer and advisor for Baby Boomers -to guide

clients through their encore

Learn About Each Other

• Your name?• How long have you lived in Minnesota?• Other places you have lived?• Experience with for profits?• Experience with non-profits?• Experience with Public Health?• Local, regional, state, or national government

services?• How many are re-entering the career market after

extended time as a care giver?

Grow A Community

More About Each Other

• How many expect to reinvent your career? (Less so to recreate yourself.)

• How many want to work full time?

• Flexible hours or part time?

• Free Agent or Contractor on a project?

• How many have already started your own company? How many times, like me?

• How many are interested in starting your own business or consulting career and have questions about how to begin?

The Journey So Far…

Most of us Baby Boomers would say we got where we are because of our:• Hard work, long hours• Blood sweat and tears (Sometimes from others and sometimes our own)

• Sacrifices along the way (Sometimes our own and sometimes from others)

• Out competed others• Outsiders might say we got to where we are

today, by being “Self Absorbed”• We may take too much credit and take on too

much blame or shame

Where Are We Now?

What Did Help Us Get Here:

• Trail Mates and those who influenced uso Parents and Siblingso Religious leaders and Mentors o Bosses and Teacherso Organizations: academic, non-profit, for profit and service

• Pioneeringo Competing because there are so many of uso Being open to opportunities all over and making our own

wayo Willing to Pioneer again, as we are reaching “retirement”

So, How Is The Water?

• Going over a cliff?o Deep or Shallowo Rocky or Sandyo Dark or Light

• “Can’t swim? Hell, the fall will kill you!”

Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid

Retirement Feels Like…

What is different for us in the journey ahead?

• Live longer than previous generations• Nest eggs likely smaller • Responsibilities for younger and older

generations • Employers are less loyal than we expected• Easy to feel like you are a YOYO

Info About Baby Boomers

• MetLifeo Facto Fact

• Encoreo Facto Fact

• Civic Ventureo Facto Fact

Data

Let’s Give This Stage a Name…

• Second Half (as in sports)

• September (as in after Summer and before Winter)

• Life Portfolio Management (as in diversity)

• Big Shift (as in big change)

• Encore Career (as in what to do after performance)

• Sherrie Rose, www.lifepreneur.com

Trail Guides

• Leave Trail Markers for those who follow • Help you to navigate forward

o Look back and begin againo Work on your own termso Give back to communities

Trail Markers & Tools

Trail Marker 1RETREAT, REFLECTION AND SABBATICAL

• Whyo Doesn’t come naturally for many people

BUT…o Research says it workso Look to others who have tried this

• Who Witho Be on your own - for some o Be with fellow travelers or groupo Professional and confidential advisor

Trail Marker Tool 1

• Wheno Daily (15 minutes)o Weekly (1 hour)o Quarterly (2 hours)o Annually (1 day)o Retreat (2 and half days)

• How to:o Use the tools and resources from classo Get in touch with spiritual rootso Unplugo Find your space where there are no

interruptions

Trail Marker 2Own It, Share It, and Let It Go

• Look back for your treasures and experiences• Write About it, Photograph it, Paint it, Teach about it• Share it with others who are interested: Colleagues, friends, family - younger and older

• Repack your bags and begin

Trail Marker Tool 2 Look Back

• Who were 3 most influential: tell them or someone who knows them

• 3 most exciting experiences: Memoir• 3 whom you influenced - Feathers in your

cap: Contact them• Find a way to be creative with your

treasures

Trail Marker 3Join A Wagon Train

• Don’t ride for the Pony Express – alone• Important to network and connect – Trail Mates

o Many of the questions you have can be answered by themo Make sure Trail Mates bring you energy –not take it away

• Spend time on what matters• Choose an experienced Trail Guide

Trail Marker Tool 3

• Connect with “new” Trail Mateso Redefine old oneso Work with different generationso Find those who balance your strengths

• Define Boundarieso People who bring energyo People who compliment youo Decide what is important

• Look for trail markers left by otherso Find a good guide

TRAIL MARKER 4

This Your Journey

• What are realistic goals?o Travel, Family responsibilities, financial need

• Where are you now with career identity?• Models to Achieve new career identity

o Organization employeeso Projects for organizationso Shift career fieldso Interim assignmentso Start your own business

• Find your voice and terms• Organizations need• Who will be on the trail with you?

Trail Marker Tool 4Get Out Your Compass

• Satisfiers: Then and now• Energizers: Then and now• Select Trail Mates

o Find new oneso Redefine old ones

• YOUR Strengths o Be sure about yours. Ask otherso Gallup’s StrengthsFindero Do what you do wello Throw your fast ball

Trail Marker 5Take Control of Your Encore

• Assess your goals and objectives ofteno Know if you are a dynamo, cruiser or spectatoro Define and redefine your goals

• Make sure your Trail Mates are on the same page

• Check your compass – how are you doing?• What matters, gets counted• Be accountable to yourself and to Trail Mates

Trail Marker Tool 5

• Write your objectives downo Sync your goals with Trail Mateso If not in sync change them

• Be Accountableo Focus on short term objectives – this is a

processo Re-Orient after each 90 days – or more often if

necessary

Trail Marker 6Timing

• It doesn’t have to take long• Starting is the hardest part • Clarify goals, navigate forward for first 90

days• Refocus and shift for the next 90 days • Target 18 month accomplishments

Trail Marker Tool 6

• 6 Week Model• Retreat Model• Single Customized Sessions• Goal setting• How to find Trail Mates• How to find advisors• How to start your own business

Survive Disappointments and Hard Times

• Plenty of disappointments and hurts for all

• Breathe and give yourself a break • Do Not Give Up – grip the rope and hold on

• Lean back into life (It takes time)o Not a parachute jumpo Not a launch

• Rely on your strengthso Break out

Take it easy, but take it Woody Guthrie

My Commitment to You

• If one of you organizes it, I’ll meet with class members for coffee and a round table conversation during May or June

• If you send me your email, I’ll include you in community building via publications, social media, and heads up about area events

• See flyer about professional services from NAVIGATE YOUR ENCORE TM

Community

Other Trail Markers and Tools• How to find out what energizes you, that “they” will pay for • How to recreate your career identity• How to learn what you need for media presence.• What you need legally to hang up your shingle• Work on your own terms with clients and colleagues• How to manage your time and space• New Beginnings: 1) creating; 2) teaching; 3) traveling• How to be an effective volunteer• How to be an effective employee in a non-profit• How to establish the legacy you want• How to write about your treasures• How to travel and learn• How to teach• How to work with advisors or consultants

Other products & services

Contact Information

John MeekerFounder and Principal - Meeker Search and Consulting

Speaker, Advisor and Guide

What’s Next?How to make life work, after a lifetime of work

Navigating Your Encore™

www.johnmeeker.com952 921-3262 - Minneapolis office612 750-3826 – cell

Be in touch…

More Information

• Sherrie Rose, www.lifepreneur.com