One of the central ideas in The Second Mountain is that many of us spend the first part of our lives climbing the mountain of achievement—building careers, raising families, reaching goals, accumulating success. But eventually, life invites us to climb a different mountain—one rooted in purpose, service, relationships, and contribution.
This week, that message has been impossible for me to ignore.
I’ve spoken with people who have recently retired and are asking, “I’ve travelled. I’ve played golf. Now what?” Others are facing unexpected career changes after positions have been eliminated and they are trying to imagine an entirely new direction. I’ve also been in conversations with a wealth management team exploring how their clients can prepare not only financially for retirement but emotionally as well.
Money can fund retirement.
It doesn’t define it.
Every transition invites us to rebuild identity, rediscover purpose, strengthen relationships, and intentionally create what comes next.
Bruce Feiler, author of Life Is in the Transitions, reminds us that life unfolds through a series of transitions rather than along a straight path. Each transition offers an opportunity to pause, reflect, and intentionally shape the chapter that follows.
Preparing for retirement means investing in more than your finances. It means investing in your identity, your purpose, your relationships, and the life you want to create after the career chapter ends. In fact, this is true no matter what age or stage.
Preparation begins with a few honest questions:
Who am I outside of my job or title?
What gives me meaning beyond achievement?
Who am I investing in and what communities am I helping to build?
What relationships am I intentionally nurturing?
If my current chapter ended tomorrow, what would I be excited to begin?
You don’t have to wait until retirement—or an unexpected life event—to start answering these questions. The answers will help you build a richer, more intentional life wherever you are on the mountain.
Transitions aren’t interruptions to life.
They are life.
Whether you’re changing careers, approaching retirement, becoming an empty nester, recovering from a setback, or simply sensing that one chapter is ending, don’t wait until change arrives to prepare for it.
The next chapter isn’t something you find. It’s something you create intentionally, one step at a time.
What transition are you preparing for? I’d love to hear what’s on your horizon.
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