We all have our own Book of Life. Every one of our books of life is different, and has 3 distinct Chapters of Life:

Chapter 1: starts when we are born, till we are ready to support ourselves. We are pretty much, taken care of by others during this time, and we take life for granted. Chapter 1 ends when we are ready to start our adult work lives/families etc.

Chapter 2: starts when we can stand (and run) on our own feet, till we are ready to say “That’s it, I’m done”. In this Chapter of our lives, we are generally consumed with the well-being of our families and mostly, taking care of others. Chapter 2 ends when we have met our personal family obligations and have become empty-nesters, ready to retire.

Chapter 3: is the last lap of this endless, sometimes mindless marathon (Chapter 2) that we are all running – like hamsters on a wheel. This chapter is YOUR time to take care of yourself, follow your passion, and be independent. No more stand-up meetings, no e-mail/chat messages to worry about, no reports to submit. You are accountable only to yourself and your partner. Every day is the start of the weekend and vacations. Pull out that bucket list of stuff you always wanted to do – but never had the time to do. Time is now on your side, albeit limited.

It is this Chapter 3 in our lives that we seldom think about. We are so fully absorbed in achieving our personal and professional goals, in Chapter 2 of our lives that most of us do not want to even think about Chapter 3, which is inevitable and will arrive. Or, we convince ourselves – “I do not need to worry about this now”

Most of my friends and acquaintances – personal and professional – are still in Chapter 2 of their lives (some, getting close to that end). It is important that you plan for Chapter 3 in the last few years of your Chapter 2. Remember when you are running at 65 mph, 5-6 days a week – you cannot have a step change down to 0 mph (or a complete void) in your lifestyle. You need to design your career off-ramp into retirement – to avoid your seatbelt/air-bag from choking you, due to rapid braking.

I have just completed my first year in my Chapter 3 and feel compelled to share my learnings to give some of you a head start. You will have to give some thought to this and prep for it, rather than turning the page one day, and finding yourself unprepared, staring at Chapter 3.

Some pointers….

  1. I made a significant career change in the last 5-8 years of my professional life in Chapter 2, as the groundwork for my future off-ramp. I moved away from R&D/SW Dev Team Management, to cross-functional Program/Product Management. Look for such lateral moves where your 30+ year’s skills are eminently transferable. Check out my Linkedin profile to get more insights into this transition.
  2. Use your years of ‘networking relationship bridges’ to seek 2-3 days per week consulting projects, where your past experiences can help. This is probably for the first 1-2 years of your Chapter 3, as you manage your off-ramp transition into retirement.
  3. As you see your Chapter 3 sun rising on the horizon, take stock of your cash-flow (input vs output) needs for your future. Remember your kids (as applicable) should be on their way to starting their own Chapter 2 journeys and being independent. No more college tuition fees and kids’ expenses.
  4. We are so busy during Chapter 2, that taking care of our health with regular exercise is the lowest on our priority list. Remember you want to start your Chapter 3 in good shape, so that your health supports you, as you pursue various travel/other plans with your nest egg/wealth. All your accumulated wealth will be of no use, without good health. To achieve this, you will have to make distinct work-life balance choices during your Chapter 2.
  5. Our Chapter 2 existence has forced our daily lives to revolve around strict daily/weekend schedules. Your work Outlook calendar is now out of the window – and you will need to plan structured daily time slots for yourself, time with your partner, and with your family and extended family/friends. After all, everything in life needs a rhythm to be in harmony.
  6. I for one (besides my consulting/mentoring tasks) plan for my time – to either write my blog listings, canvas oil painting, read, or create karaoke videos of my favorite music. Periodically I use my drone to fly like a bird in the open skies. Find your passions – whatever makes you happy and feel fulfilled. Remember, Chapter 3 is YOUR time. Go back to when you were thrust into your Chapter 2, not yet ready to fly off the nest, with unfinished goals. Some of these back-burner ‘things-to-do’ may now fill the void in your life.

I am sharing this listing, hoping it will help some of you to kick-start and start thinking of what will have to be tackled one day. For my friends who are in Chapter 3 or getting ready – share your thoughts and learnings.