When is it Too Late?

On the question of when to find and live out your Giftings, some wonder, “But, is it too late for me?” And that is a delicate question.

Just to recap, your Giftings are your innate aptitudes which have been shaped by experience and honed by training. When you get to spend your time in the exercise of your Giftings, you will find yourself in a place of satisfaction, and generally be well compensated (in the form most meaningful for you) for doing what you love to do.

So, for those of us in mid-career, and not liking it as much as we had hoped, the question arises, “Is it too late for me?” For those who are closing in on retirement without much in the way of satisfying memories, the question can be, “Is it too late for me?” And for those who have retired and are already tired of shuffleboard, pickleball, and shopping, the question can still be, “Is it too late for me?”

The answer in all cases is negative, but of course qualified. The more you have invested, the more difficult it is to transition or move away, and the more years you have behind you, the less you have ahead of you. But the answer remains that you can still live out your Giftings. (And don’t forget about the Sunk Cost Fallacy (https://mailchi.mp/4585150c2ce5/resolution-for-2850441?e=[UNIQID]) !)

I have many legal colleagues who walked away from the law to do other things. Some are making less money than they might have, some are making more. But none of them would look back, because they left something that had become a job and found something which became a joy. Writing, coaching, teaching, real estate development, policy work, politics, financial advising, … The list goes on and on.

Some, myself included, never discovered the key until after retirement. Spending my days now writing, advising, coaching, and speaking — you couldn’t drag me back into a law office. Should I have done this sooner? Probably, but who did I have to show me the way?

Which brings me to my point: there is no perfect time to find your Giftings, but today is always better than tomorrow. There is no “right time” to walk away from a job to find joy, but that is a path better walked with a guide.

The first step to answering the question? Find someone you trust, who knows you (or will get to know you) very well, and begin to explore your Giftings, your inclinations, and your dreams. And make plans which are at the same time prudent and audacious.

(There is a parallel question, “Is it ever too early to find and live out your Giftings?”, but that’s a question for another day.)

Happy to have a chat and share a coffee!