This week I will be relinquishing command for the last time in my 24 year Air Force career in preparation for retirement. It is a bittersweet moment for sure.
I’ve enjoyed my time in the Air Force, particularly the five times I’ve been in command. Make no mistake, it’s not been a walk in the park, but nonetheless I can tell you that there is immense satisfaction that comes with completing the mission and taking care of the Airmen with whom you are entrusted. I will be able to walk away knowing that I have done my part–and done it well–to serve this nation’s constitution and its citizens.
But it’s time to move on.
And now that I am squarely at middle age (45), I am excited about moving beyond the Air Force to new vistas. It truly is a gift to have such an opportunity.
Since I made the decision to retire almost exactly one year ago, my goal has been to create a “soft landing.” Toward that end, I hired a military transition coach to ensure I didn’t miss anything along the way. She surely helped me accomplish that.
But more importantly, our work together helped me discover who I am over and above that of being a military officer. I was able to break free of the constraints and restraints that come with military life and arrive at a very clear understanding of my needs, values, strengths, motivations, and joys in the context of the broader perspective of human existence. It’s hard to put a price on that, but what it has led me to is the wherewithal to create a life that will ensure that all of those things are explicitly incorporated into a life of ongoing fulfillment, exuberance, and joy in my work.
This is something that the military transition assistance program doesn’t do, but should. In my view, it’s the fundamental key to making a successful mid-career change.
It’s also very different from the typical path of taking the first job that comes along or otherwise stepping off one treadmill onto another. I didn’t care to turn the second half of my life into a joyless slog, but that’s exactly a lot of people do because they don’t take time to really examine who they are, what they want, and how they want to contribute to the world. They stay on autopilot and keep chasing the same rabbit they’ve been conditioned to chase their whole careers. It’s gets to the point where that reality becomes the only reality and other options aren’t considered or even thought to exist!
What I say to that is kill the rabbit, “take the red pill” and unplug yourself from the matrix.
Call me idealistic (I am), but there’s a whole bigger you in play and a whole wide world that needs your talents.
If you do it right, career transition doesn’t have to be filled with paralysis and fear. With a bit of sincere effort to seek to truly understand yourself, you can hit the sweet spot of service, fulfillment, and joy and live a life tailored to your true purpose.
By Joe Scherrer | The Leadership Crucible