Life ... Version 2.0
February 15, 2011By Ray Padrón, CPA, CFP®, CIMA®, PFS
As we enter a New Year with opportunities and experiences to be had, I want to share a quote that resonated throughout the Brightworth office this past fall: “Life is not a dress rehearsal.”* This statement is a profound reminder and motivator that in life, we don’t get any do-overs. Yet we do get second chances if we are willing to take advantage of them. We can get a whole new outcome, not just in our circumstances, but to our lives … by taking advantage of the wisdom we have accumulated. The result can be a whole new version with a whole new vision.
At Brightworth’s Premier 2010 Fall Event, we were given the opportunity to hear from John Cammack, a successful executive who planned well in advance, executed a transition from the peak of fulfillment in corporate America, and launched a new future. He shared his journey that lead to re-imagining his retirement. Here are a few highlights of John’s personal journey that led him to launch Cammack 2.0.
The Unavoidable First Step in Life Planning: Know Yourself
Life Planning is the intentional act of finding and creating meaning and satisfaction in life. For John, his journey started on a flight home over the Rocky Mountains as he reflected on the dramatic events of September 11, 2001. He took a legal pad and wrote out his personal vision statement and how he wanted to relate to his work, home, community, health, new initiatives, marriage and family. John realized that how he experienced being fulfilled had changed, and rather than ignoring this as a personal inconvenient truth, he “played through” to begin launching Cammack 2.0.
Know What to Change
For John, change came in two forms. The first was stopping existing behaviors and the second was establishing new ones. John learned that changing his own behaviors had a much greater impact than trying to change the behaviors of others, such as the people he managed or even his wife. If things were going to change, he realized that it was up to him to act and behave differently.
Establish a Practice (of Self-Reflection)
Knowing what to change required John to develop a habit of self-reflection. One of the first and most important habits he developed was to get away to a Canadian lake house and unplug. John also developed the discipline of asking himself everyday questions including: “What do I want out of this?” "Have I defined myself clearly enough in this situation?” “What’s stopping me from acting?” “What am I doing that causes this person to hold back?” Asking himself powerful questions and giving himself permission to reflect helped provide John insight on what he wanted to change.
Reconfirm your Fundamental Beliefs and Principles
Taking the time to get to know himself better, deciding what needed to change, and making this practice a habit drew John into a deeper level of thinking. He came to really understand what he truly believed. One way he did this was by writing out a list of “This I Believe.” Several that John shared were: Responsibility for positive change begins with oneself. Personal growth cannot occur without the risk of failure. And how you play the game (ethics) is as important as winning. For John the result of this process was greater clarity and confidence about his life.
Benefits and Advice Before Letting Go
Beginning the transition well in advance of his scheduled retirement was a big plus for John, in large part so he could complement his transition with his succession plan. This also allowed him to build the pipeline of activities and engagements that he was going to focus on as part of his redesigned life. John engaged a mentor to coach him through parts of the process.
Throughout this process he became a better listener and less likely to avoid difficult decisions. John also became more adventuresome. His career ended, but something more sustaining had begun. One of the most important lessons that John discovered and shared with us was: Denial or delay can be costly to your health and happiness.
Don’t let the dress rehearsal prevent your main act from beginning!
*Rose Tremain (Award-winning British author)
