Lessons from My UnRetired Life

Last May, I announced to friends and family that My UnRetired Life was open for business. I had no idea then who my first clients would be and how much growth was possible in just one year!  This post is a thank you to friends, colleagues, and especially my clients for filling this year with powerful UnRetirement mojo. 

Read on to learn why "My UnRetired Life" just didn't seem, well, BIG enough to describe what my clients want for themselves and what I want for them. Their words frame this message. 

I often write about the energetic power of setting an intention and of taking one small step towards allowing that intention to come into being.

That's easy to say, courageous to do. I can't tell you how scary it was to hit "send" on that first email to friends and family. Crazy, huh? These were friends and family! But it felt like I was coming out in a new way, announcing that I was creating something different for me life, and that I needed their help to make this new thing possible. And I was most definitely NOT used to asking for help!

But here's what I've discovered this year. It's not a zero sum game. Wanting more for our self does not diminish others. Asking for help does not make us helpless. Quite the opposite. As we say Yes to living our true life, we create a spaciousness for others to grow, to lighten up, and to be themselves. As we experience the vulnerability of asking for help, we learn to listen with empathy.

The wonderful thing about coaching is that it gives me the opportunity to learn and grow along with my clients. They arrive knowing that they want to live a significant life, but they don't know exactly what that looks like or how to get there. They courageously bring the fears that hold them back, the voices that say, "you're not good enough," "you're asking for too much," "you can't have." As they release those voices and embrace what they truly want, they bloom, and they inspire me to bloom as well.

We all live in the same garden. We help each other grow.

As I listened to my clients over this past year, it began to dawn on me that My UnRetired Life didn't fully capture what my clients wanted and what I wanted for them. The UnRetired Life goes beyond simply rejecting the "old retirement" myth of golden years consumed by endless walks by the sea shore. The UnRetired Life champions a powerful new way of aging.

Each of my clients have wanted more as they age. More Balance:  to live with greater ease, so that they can be fully present, tap into their creativity, and balance responsibility with fun! More Intention: to live with purpose, as masters of their time, nurturing their health, their finances, and their relationships. More Growth: to grow in love (a loving partner, a more loving and peaceful family); to grow in influence (to make a difference and leave a legacy); and to grow in self-awareness (to live life on their terms and by their truth).

My clients want to live BIG! The world needs them to live BIG. Hence, the new name and new logo:  My UnRetired Life is now My BIG UnRetired Life:  Aging with Balance, Intention, and Growth.

I can't wait to see what the next year brings!

~ Janet

In celebration of our new name and one-year anniversary, I'm setting aside a limitted number of complimentary Retirement Breakthrough sessions through May 2018.