Retirement is an interesting beast. It’s a stage of life that many long for and look forward to, yet quickly discover unfulfilling. That transition from working full-time hours to having a full day to fill on your own can be a rather difficult adjustment. Some even report experiencing a loss of identity or lower sense of self-worth following retirement.
Fortunately, retirement does not have to be all doom and gloom. In fact, we have a solution to help you combat that post-exit funk. If you are looking for ways to find joy and purpose once you step away from your well-beloved workplace, following the N.E.X.T. guidelines as part of the Founder’s Exit Paradox can set you on the right path.
What is the Founder’s Exit Paradox?
The Founder’s Exit Paradox is the journey a retiree experiences after leaving behind a successful workplace role.
Oftentimes, we let our workplace achievements define who we are and what we have become. We take those years of accomplishments and attach them to our identity. Our business life integrates into our personal life.
So when an individual is removed from that environment of success, many NEOs (newly exited operators) feel a void and that void brings on a wide variety of emotions. The Founder’s Exit Paradox refers to the highs and lows one will experience as they learn to let go and discover an identity beyond that familiar and successful workplace role.
What is N.E.X.T.?
N.E.X.T. is an acronym that represents a four-phase guide to unmasking your authentic self once you leave behind a conventional job.
N = Nourish
E = Evaluate
X = Xplore
T = Transcend
N.E.X.T. goes hand-in-hand with the Founder’s Exit Paradox. Its principles serve as the guidebook that helps you through the paradoxical process.
N.E.X.T. = Nourish, Evaluate, Xplore, Transcend
Nourish is the self-discovery phase – a phase all about examining your past roles and evaluating their effect on your identity. You utilize the power of introspection to nourish your soul and dig down beneath the layers that you’ve spent years compiling on top of your core self. It’s a time when you break down the walls and remove the barriers that stand between you and your true identity.
Evaluate is the resourceful phase – a phase where you evaluate the resources surrounding you and within you. Furthermore, you evaluate your personal stockpile of knowledge, skills, experiences, insights, strengths, and attributes to see how you can use those resources to better the world around you.
Xplore is the exploration phase – a phase all about seizing the opportunity to open new doors, expand your horizons, and explore uncharted territories on your path to personal discovery. It can even be a time where you take purposeful steps to rediscover dreams and passions that dropped to the bottom of your to-do list when workplace demands consumed your soul. And most importantly, it’s a time where you use those interests to make a positive impact on the world and create meaningful change within your community.
Transcend is the action phase – a phase where you take advantage of your post-exit freedom to transcend beyond workplace accomplishments and financial success. You compile what you’ve discovered in the prior phases and you finalize a plan to go and do. And as you transcend, you transform. You uncover the deeper meaning to life and all its moving parts.
The N.E.X.T. Wellness Pillars
As you’ve probably already gathered, N.E.X.T. requires energy and grit, which is why maintaining wellness and balance through the process is of utmost importance. You cannot expect to reach new heights without health on your side.
Your well-being consists of four primary pillars of wellness:
- Physical Wellness
- Emotional Wellness
- Mental Wellness
- Social Wellness
Every pillar coincides with another pillar. They provide support to each other and rely on one another. When you focus on all four of these pillars, they become the foundation to your overall well-being. Your emotional state of mind influences your mental health, which connects to your body’s physical health and social abilities. Your goal should be to nurture all aspects of wellness as part of your N.E.X.T. journey.
The N.E.X.T. Way of Life
N.E.X.T. is not designed to be a one-and-done exploration process. It’s meant to be a continual voyage of self-discovery that guides you down a path of growth, development, and transformation.
Self-awareness is an integral part of the N.E.X.T. process. You need that introspection to reveal your true inner self.
And although becoming more self aware can bring about rich enlightenment, self-awareness can also reveal your insecurities and imperfections … but that’s okay. It’s okay to create moments of vulnerability that shine light on your desires, behaviors, motivations, and fears. It’s what you do with those moments of realization that truly matters.
Your N.E.X.T. Journey
How is your post-exit stage of life going? Are you interested in unearthing your authentic self as part of a journey to discovering a better you?
A financial advisor life coach can help you navigate the challenges of living a balanced and fulfilling life. You can also learn more about N.E.X.T. and this carefully-crafted exploration process that is changing lives by checking out Your NEXT: A Guide To Finding Fulfillment After Your Exit.