I credit my mother-in-law
Musings on midlife, and my motivation for getting involved in AgeTech and the Longevity Economy
I credit my mother-in-law. She’s the one who got me started thinking about this topic. I remember talking to her one summer morning about how she hadn’t wanted to retire.
She summed it up this way…”I didn’t so much retire as my network retired and work opportunities dried up.” But it was this comment that really got to me…”I always get up in the morning and want something important to do. I have plenty of trivial things to do, but they’re not very satisfying.”
Mind you, my mother-in-law worked into her 80s. Since ‘retiring’ she’s published multiple books — one about her work evaluating educational programs in public schools across the country, as well as children’s books and a recent YA addition. She’s also in a writing group, a poetry group and a knitting group among other things. She goes to the gym regularly. So, it’s not like she’s been sitting around twiddling her thumbs.
As for me, I’ve got decades ahead of me before I turn 80, and it’s not that I want to work forever. But, I do crave spending time on things that matter, that add value to the world, that energize me and give me a sense of purpose. That’s no big revelation. I suspect many people would say the same thing about themselves.
What that conversation with my mother-in-law sparked in me, however, was a realization that I could end up in much the same position she did, which left me feeling downright panicky. I don’t want to get retired against my will. I want to figure out how to keep waking up and having important work to do. I want my career to be something I determine the length and breadth of.
My inclination when faced with a problem is to immediately start looking for (or creating) solutions. In this case, I want to get w-a-y out ahead of this challenge. Awareness, preparation and learning seem like relevant and realistic things to focus on right now. It’s also gotten me started on a journey, fueled by this question – “How can I craft a career for myself as I age, that will continue to fill me with a sense of purpose and enable me to stay relevant in the workforce until I choose to walk away?”
One place I’ve chosen to focus my energy is learning about the markets and opportunities focused on this next stage of life, AgeTech and the Longevity Economy. Makes sense when you think about it. I’ve worked in Product and Tech for most of my career. The 11+ years I spent working in the healthcare space at PatientsLikeMe was a formative experience that taught me the value of going through challenging experiences with others who can relate. I majored in Economics as an undergraduate and have spent years in the business world learning why it’s important to follow the money.
Looking ahead, I can easily imagine myself working in this space. Exactly how is still to be determined. Focusing my attention and efforts on building community and sparking conversations has been an energizing way to start. Ultimately, contributing to solutions that enable people to live better as they age is extraordinarily motivating. That’s something I can get behind as a higher purpose to pursue, that will also (hopefully!) enable me to pave a path to professional relevance for decades to come.
I hope you’ll join me on this journey. Let’s learn together.
Thanks for reading! Subscribe to receive new posts if you like what you read. If you want to show your support, please react ❤️ comment 💬 or repost 🔁 . It’s an easy (& free!) way to be an ally and show support.