FOR YEARS Patricia Drain INTERVIEWED
hundreds of people at the staffing firm she owned to help them find a
particular job. Almost daily she would hear people ask,
“Now what should I be when I
grow up?”
They thought this was a
unique, clever question. But in reality, hundreds of people have asked
that question over the years. As time went on, Patricia noticed the people
asking the question kept getting older and the question was asked more
frequently.
That is why Patricia chose to call
this book—
What
Should I Be When I Grow Up
Now That I’m 40, 50, 60?
But why 40, 50, 60?
-
Because there are 77
million baby boomers in the United States between the ages of 42 and
60, according to AARP Magazine’s October 2005 issue.
-
Because 4 million (or so)
baby boomers will be turning 50 every year.
-
Because every second,
another person is turning 50.
-
Because today’s baby
boomers face career challenges that generations before them never had
to face.
For the first time in
history, the majority of careers don’t end with a gold watch, a nice
retirement, and a “living happily ever after” story that includes
spending six months a year in their sunbelt winter home.
What is different today?
-
Baby boomers are
struggling with two, three, even five or six careers.
-
What used to be considered
old age is not.
-
What used to be called
retirement is not.
-
What used to be a common
phrase “it’s time to retire” has turned into “I still have so much to
offer. I am wiser now.”
The questionnaires in this
book will help you understand what you want to do when you grow up. What
you are passionate about, what excites you, energizes you, connects you.
You’ll find the questions
introspective and telling. They are questions that only YOU can answer.
It took me more than 20 years to write this book. Why so long? Because I
didn’t want to end the book with anyone not knowing what to do with his
or her career after reading it through.
I finally realized that I am not the person (nor is there any other
person) who can tell you (or anyone else) that you should be a truck
driver, a secretary, a teacher, and so on. Your answer can only come
from the hard work of getting to know
yourself, your personal skills, and your lifelong patterns.
YOU
ARE
UNIQUE
Your uniqueness will shine
through as you identify your ingredients and answer purposeful
questions. You will get to know and understand yourself, your needs,
your skills, your patterns, and maybe even your purpose.
Remember, “When the student is ready the teacher appears.” I encourage
you to make this book your teacher today.
“The first
step to getting what you want out of life is this:
Decide what you want.”
— Ben Stein
.jpg)
.jpg)
