Stepping Out
By Vanessa Castagna, MyNextSeason Advisor and Former CEO JCPenney Stores, Catalogue, and Internet
I often think that my days post-transition are practically unrecognizable when compared with how I spent my days for more than 40 years as an executive in various Fortune 50 organizations. What I’ve discovered along the way is that while I retired from my corporate role, I haven’t retired from my corporate experience. Transferring my business experience to new endeavors and areas of my life has provided a firm foundation to step out and take risks in exciting new areas.
Hopefully, you will too, and you’ll discover projects that are enticing, interesting, and fit your skills and abilities. For me, serving as a trustee on the board of my alma mater, working as a consultant, and mentoring young adults interested in my industry is extremely rewarding, maximizes my business experience, and keeps me learning.
Conversely, knowing what you DON’T like to do, and realizing how you don’t want to spend your time, is essential. I was certain that I didn’t want to have too much unstructured down time or stop working all together. Dis-interests are just as important to discovering as fanning the flames of those interests you love.
Change is inevitable, and while feeling doubt and trepidation is normal, you need not be afraid of it! Thinking about risk taking in an intelligent way for a positive outcome is a crucial element of the process and is also a key part of “Stepping Out.”
Now, you are measuring risk taking not as before but with a newly defined lens: a lens that has been created with all your years of experience, sacrifice, hard work, success, and relationships. Look through it, embrace it, and enhance it to develop your next season. Trust your instincts and realize that your wealth of experience combined with doing what you love most, turns risk into enjoyment, excitement, and lifelong fulfillment!
