I have always been a Jane Pauley fan, so I was delighted to run into her Facebook page “LifeReimagined.”
For the past three years, Jane has teamed with AARP to tell stories of people charting positive and purposeful new ways to go forward in life. These stories are broadcast on The Today Show, and deepened into longer interviews with livestreams on her Facebook page.
You may wonder, how did Jane go from hard-hitting journalist and co-anchor of The Today Show and NBC Nightly News to her new status as coach and mentor to the baby boomer generation?
On a Facebook livestream, Jane told the story of her own reinvention…and it was not the easy, linear path you might have expected.
Jane spent a good three years of experimentation and trial-and-error, seeking to find a new career that resonated with her passions and life purpose.
The path involved some dead ends and cul de sacs, but each step brought her closer to a capstone career move that combines her passion for journalism with her desire to create a meaningful contribution.
On today’s episode, Jane interviewed Barbara Chandler Allen, a talented artist who took a 20 year career break to be stay-at-home mom to her son, Roger. While volunteering at Roger’s school, Barbara used children’s art to transform the space into a showcase that looked more like a design studio than the hallways of a public school.
When the new superintendent witnessed Barbara’s talents, he recruited her to transform his 850,000 square feet headquarters into a children’s art gallery. Barbara took the job out of necessity, as she was in the midst of a divorce. But what started from necessity quickly turned into a passion.
With her son as her business partner, Barbara founded a nonprofit, Fresh Artists, that helps kids make and sell their artwork. The kids gain new skills and confidence, while the proceeds are donated to provide art supplies to struggling pubic school art teachers.
Here is how Barbara described her own reinvention.
I have taken the different threads of my life and woven them into a new tapestry.
Barbara was the 2010 Encore Purpose Prize winner, given to people over 60 who are innovating to improve their communities and the world. Marci Alboher, VP of Encore.org and author of the The Encore Career Handbook, was another guest on the livestream. She describes encore careers as an opportunity to make a difference and make a living in the second half of life.
There comes a time when you realize you don’t have all the time in the world, but you do have enough time to make a meaningful difference.
From these three inspiring women, I distilled 3 keys tips for creating the next chapter of your life.
- Volunteering is often the path to finding a meaningful career change. One idea is to propose a short-term (say 3-month) pro bono consulting project with an organization you would like to work with. By helping someone else, you will gain experience, contacts and something to put on your resume. It may even lead to a long-term job.
- It is tempting to spend too much time sitting on your sofa thinking and sending out resumes. You may have to do that, but you also need to take action and get out into the community. What people who are not working miss the most is social connections. So call up somebody you admire and ask them to meet you for lunch or coffee. Don’t ask them to help you, just seek their advice. Who knows where it might lead?
- Know yourself. Jane Pauley wanted a new stage in her career, but she knew she did not want to be her own boss. She loved working with a team that made the most of her interviewing skills. So she did not want to start her own business or nonprofit. Knowing that led her to team up with AARP and The Today Show. They provide the structure and organization to support her passion for learning about people and communities.
There are many different paths to reinventing your life. They all start by taking a good look within.
If you are inspired to reimagine your life, I would love to hear from you. Please leave me a comment and let me know what you envision coming next in your life story.
