Below are the important foundations of successful pivots from my process of redirecting plus what I heard in interviews of those making career and life pivots. The first step of redirecting is to spend good time cocooning. Then it is these:

Clean to Create Your New Space

Create a Vacuum: Cleaning as a Foundation for Career Pivots and Retirement

Embarking on a career pivot or stepping into retirement (redirecting) involves more than just a change in job or stopping work. It's about redefining priorities and setting yourself up to support your passions. Through cocooning, you have a chance to reflect on who you’ve been and applaud and recognize yourself for the value you’ve created. It’s ok to be mindful about your contributions so far as a foundation for what comes next. You can do this through mindful cleaning.

One fundamental step often overlooked is the act of cleaning or decluttering to create a vacuum into which your new passions can be created. This process is not merely about physical space; it's about mental and emotional preparation that facilitates clarity and purpose in your next chapter. Cleaning, decluttering, simplifying stuff goes hand in hand with cocooning.

The notion of creating a vacuum has served me well in my life. My career was my life into my thirties. My work in high-tech, especially once I joined SRI International, took me all over the world and I was often away from home. One year, I spent less than six months at home. This played havoc with my love life. Who wanted to stick around when I wasn’t around? Or, I’d hook up with someone in the UK or Switzerland where I spent a lot of time. I finally purged all of my relationships and while I had male friends, I did not date for a year. I created a vacuum. During that time, I got very clear on the life partner I wanted and then met my life partner. I’ve always believed that by creating a vacuum, I created the loving partnership I have with my husband of over forty years.

Create a vacuum - get clear on what you want - give your physical space and your psyche the opportunity to create what works for you.

Best Practices for Decluttering Before Redirecting

Start with a Vision: What do you want your redirection to look like and how do you want your office and your home to support you? This vision will guide you in deciding what stays and what goes, or in the case above, who goes.
Assess and Prioritize: Evaluate your belongings. Keep those that support your new direction or bring you joy. Save those things that are downright irresistible to you. This selective process helps maintain focus on your goals. Marie Kondo’s KonMari has a systematic cleaning technique that is not just for tidying, it’s also good for deep, meditative, redirection cleaning in my opinion. And the best advice she gives is to “discard all things that don’t spark joy.” (1)
Create Physical and Mental Space: Cleaning frees up space, allowing new ideas and opportunities to flourish. It's symbolic of letting go of the past and making room for new experiences. But also save what’s been important to you. Honor your accomplishments and the materials that reflect your contributions. I still can’t get rid of the final report and HR Tech presentations I gave for the 15 years I managed the SierraCedar HR Systems Survey.
Extra tip: It’s a Continuous and Life-long Process: Treat cleaning as an ongoing activity, not a one-time event. As you progress in your new career or lifestyle, your needs and priorities might change, requiring you to reassess your environment. And, it will definitely need to be a continuous process when you retire!

Cleaning at Retirement Compared to Career Pivots

While cleaning out physical and mental clutter is crucial for both career pivots and retirement, the context and implications differ:

Career Pivots: For those changing careers, cleaning helps eliminate irrelevant materials and distractions, sharpening focus on new goals and skills. It's about aligning your environment with your new professional identity and requirements. But, remember to keep those things that have been important in your career - they often are important in subsequent jobs and roles. A theme of my work over the years has been in support of value engineering and change management. I still have some seminal books, for me, by Paul Strassman, Peter Senge, and I’ve kept a copy of every book where I’ve contributed a chapter or more. Years ago, my husband and I donated 45 boxes of books to our local library but I’ve kept novels I love, gardening books, books on painting and quilting. I’m now down to maybe 80 linear feet of books. On my to do list, to purge again.
Retirement: Cleaning in the context of retirement often involves a more profound reassessment of belongings and commitments. It's an opportunity to reflect on what's genuinely important and to simplify life, potentially downsizing or reorganizing living spaces to better suit a less structured and very different lifestyle. For me, my office was also my studio. Now it’s more of a studio with an office section. It supports my quilting, a hobby I’ve had for over 40 years, and my new passion for watercolor painting.

Scott Burton calls this “purging to reconnect with essence”. He found he had layers of stuff including countless project deliverables. It was a huge relief to purge those documents. “I didn’t own my stuff. It owned me. I got new square footage.”

He also purged for his father who had things of value to his parents, but not to him. He held an auction. He gave stuff away. Now he’s down to one box from his parents made up of postcards from their marriage, notes on their honeymoon, pictures, and jewelry.

As this story suggests, retirement cleaning has a forward-looking component—it's about preparing for a smoother transition not just for you but also for your family. So, organize and downsize possessions to reduce the burden on family. My husband has gotten rid of a lot of photos and mementos through digitizing them along with our important documents.

Conclusion: Create a Vacuum - It Will Open Up Possibilities

Cleaning is therapeutic and offers a chance to reconnect with who you are. Purge your old career documents that no longer serve. Keep what confirms your sense of the value you’ve contributed. Cleaning is not just about creating space but recognizing yourself, reclaiming control while keeping what brings you joy, and preparing yourself mentally and emotionally for what's next. Whether it's a career pivot or retirement, starting with a clean, organized space can profoundly impact your ability to embrace and succeed in redirecting.

FOOTNOTES:

Kondo, Marie. Rule 6: Ask Yourself If It Sparks Joy? https://konmari.com/marie-kondo-rules-of-tidying-sparks-joy/

Start by Cleaning

Financial Considerations

Caveat: Do not rely on the following for financial advice. Find and work with a financial advisor to meet your specific needs. The following discussion provides ideas from those I interviewed who had made a successful career or job pivot or had retired.

Financial considerations play a critical role in both career or job pivots and retirement. Interviewees emphasized the importance of financial stability and preparation, while reflecting their diverse goals and strategies for their unique circumstances. There was, however, a recurring theme that one must balance meeting financial goals with gaining the freedom to pursue passions without financial stress. Some would forego financial gain for being able to pursue their personal passions and purpose.

“Solid financials is critical to have a sense of not being beholden nor ever feeling desperate. Live below your means, so that you can at any time depart confidently, with your identity and self-worth.” Amy Wilson

Key advice from most was to spend below your means and save for retirement but be prepared to rethink financial needs. As one interviewee in the 40s age cohort said about financial expectations: “Some of my needs are non-negotiable. I want to make enough money to not be poor, to take the kids to Disney World, buy a house, and take care of my family.” Another in the 70s cohort, recently divorced, said: “Sometimes it’s necessary to rethink financial goals. I wanted to buy a new home but did not have enough, so I bought a camper to travel.” Sometimes that rethinking needs to start with the notion that “I actually already have enough.” And, as I noted, for many – while a strong financial foundation is critical, pivoting was not done for more money. It was done to pursue one’s personal passions and purpose.

My financial advisor says that people contemplating a career change need a bigger nest egg than those contemplating a job change within the same industry. The latter situation typically does not involve a pay cut and may even create more income since the new job is already lined up. Three to six months of spending on hand is conservative. A career change on the other hand, may involve a pay cut that might take years to recoup and the risk of unemployment is higher if the new career doesn’t work out. In this case, at least a year’s worth of spending on hand or more depending on the degree of pay cut and the costs of perhaps more training or education. The job changer should look at pay differentials between jobs and estimate how long it might take to return to the current pay level. Even if the new career pays better, starting over again usually means exchanging a job where one has expertise for a new one at the bottom of the ladder.

Becoming a solo entrepreneur has its own financial considerations that can benefit from a financial advisor. As one interviewee said, “you may have no business for one quarter and you must have financial wherewithal to weather that.”

Variations by Gender

Male Interviewees: Men often discussed the practical aspects of financial planning, such as ensuring sufficient savings, investing wisely, or having a clear understanding of expected income versus expenditures with new ventures. They tended to focus on achieving financial milestones that would allow them to sustain their lifestyle or engage in desired activities without the need to generate additional income.
Female Interviewees: Women also reflected the importance of financial security but highlighted the emotional and relational aspects of financial planning more frequently. Many expressed a desire for flexibility to balance work with personal and family responsibilities such as caring for children or aging parents. Several mentioned the need to engage with advisors who can provide financial scenarios enabling them to emerge from a divorce and be financially sound. For all, the need for a financial safety net was prominent, to serve as a buffer against uncertainties. But women focused more frequently on their desire to move to fulfilling work rather than moving for financial gain as men did.

For women at the C-level, the time to find their next role appears to be much longer than for men. I’ve been privy to a discussion both on LinkedIn by Meg Bear and others and offline about a “bias tax.” This is that women at this level often have to undergo many more interviews than men to get the most senior C-level jobs to the point that instead of taking perhaps six months to find the next job, it takes upwards of a year or more. This difference is so great that women may self-select out of pursuing these jobs. The point is that women may need a more substantive nest egg to weather being out of a job than men.

One specific piece of advice from the more senior level women I’ve interacted with is for women to learn more about Angel and Venture Capital investments as an asset class, an area that men often use to grow their wealth and network. The venture capital sector has long been dominated by men, but that may be changing. According to a report from the Center for Venture Research at the University of New Hampshire, in 2022 nearly 40% of angel investors were women, up from only 22% a decade earlier.

Synthesis by Age Cohorts

20s-50s: For younger and mid-career professionals, financial considerations revolved around building a career with sufficient income to support lifestyle choices and family needs. These interviewees were more likely to take calculated risks, with some pursuing entrepreneurial ventures that required initial financial sacrifices for potential long-term gains.
60s-70s: Those in their 60s, 70s, and older, closer to or in retirement, showed a marked shift in financial priorities. The focus was less on income generation and more on managing savings and investments to ensure lasting financial security. Retirement planning included considerations like maintaining lifestyle without regular income, managing health care costs, and optimizing the withdrawal from savings to minimize tax implications.

Differentiating Between Career Pivots and Retirement

Career Pivots: Financial planning for career pivots require ensuring adequate resources to withstand periods of lower income during transitions. Interviewees discussed the need for financial buffers to allow for training, upskilling, or lower earnings as they established themselves in new fields, sometimes quite substantial such as returning for a PhD or for women at the C-level, the substantially longer time it takes to find the next C-level role.
Retirement: In contrast, those planning for retirement focused on long-term financial sustainability, often discussing how to manage their savings, investment income, and expenses to maintain their standard of living indefinitely as well as their desire to support charities. Retirees emphasized the importance of committed financial planning to avoid outliving their resources, with all mentioning the use of financial advisors to optimize their financial resources.

This interview synthesis provides a nuanced understanding of how financial considerations vary across individuals, influenced by factors of gender, age, and the nature of the career transitions or retirement planning.

Resources:
FIRE Movement: Financial Independence, Retire Early - this is a movement that prioritizes cutting expenses, saving, and investing with the goal of retiring early or gaining more financial freedom
Mr. Money Mustache - a role model on all things having to do with money
Books and podcasts when contemplating retirement - 20 great books and podcasts
Women getting their wings as angel investors - what is angel investing and what's changing for women/
Money Belief Formula by Susan Diamond, money coach enabling women to achieve financial freedom by addressing their money story and enabling them to overcome their money fears.

Get Healthy

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Relationships

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Purpose

Purpose is Key

Living purposefully is touted as key to long life, aging successfully, having better physical health, feeling less stress and being happy. Finding a new purpose when one retires is also touted. When making a career transition, finding meaning (purpose) is also important. In talking with my many interviewees, dominant drivers for their pivot were the desire for personal fulfillment, alignment with personal values, making a positive impact, and achieving a balanced and joyful life. All of these speak to finding purpose.

I asked ChatGPT4o to review all my interview notes and synthesize what was said about purpose and meaning overall, by gender, and by age cohort. Something interesting came out of that synthesis – a relatively positive discussion about what drove each person to make a change. This section is that first analysis. I will share a different version a bit later as it not only adds to the discussion about the role of purpose, but speaks to a deficiency of using AI in some analyses. (I hope you are intrigued.)

Overall Synthesis

1. Personal Fulfillment and Happiness:

Many interviewees shifted their careers due to a lack of joy and fulfillment in their roles. They sought roles that would bring them excitement, challenge, and ultimately happiness. For example, one of the younger pivoters wanted to transition from a goal-oriented life associated with position and salary increases towards one that involved helping others and bringing joy.

2. Alignment with Personal Values:

The need to align work with personal values was a significant factor. One mid-life executive left her corporate job because her personal values couldn't coexist with the profit-driven motives of her employer. Another mid-life researcher transitioned to focus on introducing always-on listening in organizations to scale her impact in line with her values.

3. Positive Impact:

Many sought to make a positive impact on society or within their communities. One 60+ year old, thinking about moving towards retirement, moved from a successful corporate role to helping others through coaching and consulting, focusing on positive change and personal growth. Yet another C-level executive left that role in order to have an even stronger impact from his work by focusing on helping organizations in a specific industry because of the ripple-down effect that could have.

4. Joy and Meaning:

Finding joy and meaning in work was crucial. One of the younger interviewees emphasized the need for joy and meaning in life. As an aside, the notion of joy was not something I often heard from younger interviewees. Finding meaning was something I heard more frequently from those in their fifties as exemplified by one woman who redirected her career towards improving animal welfare, aligning with her passion and purpose.

5. Challenges and Setbacks:

While setbacks such as lack of financial stability, market understanding, and personal doubts exemplified by imposter syndrome were common, these were often seen as opportunities for growth and learning.

Synthesis by Gender

Men:

Men's pivots were often driven by a realization that their current roles were unfulfilling or misaligned with their evolving values. Men's pivots often involved a blend of rational planning and seizing unforeseen opportunities.

Women:

Women frequently cited misalignment with corporate cultures, lack of personal fulfillment, and the desire to make a meaningful impact as drivers for their career pivots. Some women’s transitions were driven by toxic work environments and the need for personal growth. Women's career shifts often involved a stronger emphasis on balancing personal and professional life, with some moving in new directions where they could have a strong boundary on work hours. This need for boundaries was also paramount for younger women as they had children and also for mid-life women as they turned to care for their parents.

Synthesis by Age Cohorts

30s:

Career pivots for those in their 30s were often about exploring new interests and aligning work with personal passions and needs. For example, one younger woman transitioned across roles in people analytics as an HRBP, to project management, driven by a need to find a meaningful and stable role especially as she wanted to start a family.

40s:

In the 40s, pivots were frequently about moving away from unfulfilling roles and aligning work with deeper personal values and life goals. One male had various shifts that were driven by a search for new approaches and a need to use his educational background more effectively. Women in this age cohort also often sought roles that allowed for a greater impact and creativity.

50s:

Career redirections in the 50s were often driven by a need to escape toxic work environments, especially for women, or to pursue lifelong passions, or align more closely with personal values.

60s:

The 60s often marked a transition towards roles that allowed for personal growth and contribution without the pressures of corporate life. One getting closer to retirement made a move to consulting and coaching highlighting a shift from prior goal-oriented success to a focus on living with purpose that would contribute to positive change as opposed to just making lots of money.

70s:

Pivots in the 70s were characterized by a desire for personal joy, legacy-building, and meaningful contributions to society. Both men and women in this age bracket were focused on activities that brought joy, such as volunteering and community involvement, often driven by a desire to share their accumulated wisdom and experience.

These syntheses highlight the diverse motivations and themes behind career pivots, emphasizing the search for purpose and fulfillment, alignment with values, and the desire to make a meaningful impact. Each individual's journey reflects a unique blend of personal and professional aspirations, shaped by their gender and age cohort.

My Reflections on Purpose: Insights and Inspirations

Since redirecting, and while doing the interviews, I’ve been thinking deeply on purpose for myself. For now, my purpose is to explore the notion of redirecting as I pivot from a 55 year career to my eighties. Just because I left work, for me, does not mean I won’t continue to give back. In my cocooning stage, I reconfirmed that I love doing research, so why not research how others redirect or pivot their career or from employment to retirement? I love the research process. I love making sense of the results. So, my purpose, for now, is to communicate my findings on redirecting.

I listened to podcasts, read, and talked to many about what purpose means. Here’s some of my musings and the source of my thinking.

Dismantling Purpose Anxiety:

I heard the term “purpose anxiety” on some podcast - perhaps with Elizabeth Gilbert. I had to look it up:

It’s the distress and doubt people feel when they struggle to find a sense of meaning or purpose in life. It can include uncertainty about how to make a difference in the world. Purpose anxiety can be experienced at two stages: when searching for a purpose, or when trying to live out that purpose.

There’s research on this according to Daniel Goleman, author of “Emotional Intelligence.” I particularly like the following research:

Emily Esfahani Smith, of Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, has traveled around the world studying what she calls the four pillars of meaning: belonging, purpose, storytelling, and transcendence. In her words, “Purpose sounds big—ending world hunger or eliminating nuclear weapons big. But it doesn’t have to be. You can also find purpose in being a good parent to your children, creating a more cheerful environment at your office, or making a giraffe’s life more pleasant.”

So, relax. There is no shame in not having a grand purpose. One doesn’t have to change the world or leave a legacy. The pressure to find a monumental purpose can be overwhelming. Instead, focusing on what feels meaningful in everyday actions can be just as fulfilling. Don’t compare your purpose to others. Practice experimentation and reflect on whether what you come up with works for you and makes you feel satisfied.

Finding Meaning in Simplicity:

Mary Oliver, my favorite poet, suggested that purpose and meaning could be found in the simple, natural world. Her advice to “pay attention, be astonished, tell about it” encourages us to find purpose in the small, often overlooked moments of life. It’s a reminder that purpose doesn’t always have to be grandiose; it can be found in the quiet observation of life’s beauty. And perhaps her most famous words from her poem “The Summer Day” are: "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Put that way, may drive you to define your purpose!

Who made the world?

Who made the swan, and the black bear?

Who made the grasshopper?

This grasshopper, I mean—

the one who has flung herself out of the grass,

the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,

who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down—

who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.

Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.

Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.

I don't know exactly what a prayer is.

I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down

into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,

how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,

which is what I have been doing all day.

Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?

Mary Oliver

I must say that this past year has been one in which I’ve paid more attention and have allowed myself to be more idle and realize how blessed I am particularly while hiking my trails.

Give and Grow:

Purpose often unfolds naturally when we engage in meaningful work that reflects our interests and skills. By giving back to others, we can grow in ways that reveal our purpose over time. This approach emphasizes that purpose is a journey, not a destination.

Sometime during my cocooning, I listened to an enlightening podcast by Richard Leider in which he said something like “If you haven’t spent time thinking about your purpose, try “give and grow” on for size.” One of his most famous quotes is: “to awaken, to grow, to continually give, and to make a difference to others–that’s why we are here. It’s who we bring to what we do.”

“Give and grow” as a purpose statement makes a lot of sense. I experimented with this and meditated on this for a while during my deepest introspective days. As a result, I set out to “grow” in some new ways, for example, by taking up watercolor painting and learning how to create a website. And I’ve been “giving” a lot more of my time in mentoring through my volunteer work as a master gardener.

Service Over Purpose:

Instead of being solely purpose-driven, consider a service-driven life. Reflect on how your day would look if each action was an act of service. Small, daily acts of service can be profoundly fulfilling and provide a deep sense of purpose.

I had a conversation with a colleague on whether service and purpose are complementary or distinct approaches. What do you think? Perhaps being in service is our purpose?

Ikigai:

The Japanese concept of Ikigai suggests that a worthwhile life is one where what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for intersect. This balance is key to living a life rich in purpose and meaning.

Years ago, I did a workshop titled “Best Work” which was at least at the intersection of what I’m good at and what I could be paid for and chose to focus on being the best researcher I could be. Hopefully the world needed a bit of what I had to offer and I’ve contributed.

Purpose in Retirement:

In retirement, purpose continues to be crucial. Richard Leider, in his book, The Power of Purpose, highlights that purpose is essential for health, happiness, and longevity. It’s about making the way you spend your life more worthwhile and meaningful, giving you a reason to wake up excited each day.

Hope for the Flowers:

The story of the delightful illustrated book, Hope for the Flowers serves as a metaphor for personal transformation. It reminds us that success is not about competition but about becoming our best selves through growth and self-discovery. It’s a story of going within, understanding one’s true nature, and ultimately soaring.

Conclusion

Finding purpose is a deeply personal journey, shaped by individual experiences, values, and the environments in which we find ourselves. Whether through escaping unfulfilling roles, seeking joy in daily work, or embracing a life of service, the pursuit of purpose is central to leading a meaningful life. As you redirect your career or life path, remember that purpose is not a singular goal but an evolving aspect of who we are. It can be found in grand achievements or in the quiet moments of connection and contribution. Ultimately, purpose is about aligning your life with what truly matters to you and living in a way that feels rich in meaning and fulfillment.

Resources:

Modern Elder Academy

Bruce Fieler and especially his book Life is in the Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Age

Arthur C. Brooks, From Strength to Strength (recommended by several interviewees)

Richard Leider - video on ways to connect to your purpose to live a fulfilled life

Learning and more

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