Whether you climbed the corporate ladder, built your own business, or spent decades making things happen in your job, your worth was measured the same way.
By what you completed.
Finish the presentation.
Close the deal.
Hit the numbers.
Get to the next meeting.
Every day was a race to complete things so I could move on to the next thing.
And here's what nobody tells you about your next chapter: You bring that mindset with you.
Last week, I caught myself feeling anxious because I'd only completed three things on my to-do list by noon.
Three things.
One was "return library books."
I had to laugh.
After decades of managing teams, hitting revenue targets, and putting out fires, I was stressed about returning library books on time.
The tasks are different now.
Easier.
Less dependent on other people.
Way less pressure.
But I was still measuring my day by how many boxes I checked.
That's the trap we fall into.
We spend our entire careers sprinting through our lives, barely tasting our coffee, barely present for dinner because we're already thinking about tomorrow's meetings.
We complete our way through decades.
And then one day, the pressure's gone.
The deadlines disappear.
And we're left with a different kind of life.
One that doesn't run on task completion.
The shift you need to make isn't about doing less.
It's about experiencing more.
It's about savoring your coffee.
Not scrolling endlessly through Instagram and TikTok.
Being fully present when your grandkids are telling you a story instead of mentally planning your afternoon.
The hardest part of leaving your working years behind isn't figuring out what to do with your time.
It's learning to be present in that time.
(That's great advice for those of you who are still in the midst of your career.)
Be present because if you keep treating these years like a to-do list, you're going to look back and realize you can't remember much of them either.
These are supposed to be the years you actually experience.
Don't complete them.
Live them to the fullest.
What mindset are you bringing into this next chapter?
Ted
