What do you do if you're a retired Creative Strategy professional struggling to find purpose and identity?

Take time to reconnect with the things you love and enjoy. Revisiting old hobbies or discovering new ones can reignite your sense of purpose.

Retirement should be seen as the start of a new phase rather than the end for a retired Creative Strategy professional grappling with finding purpose and identity. Reflect on the values, interests, and passions that guided your career in creative strategy. Explore new hobbies, volunteer opportunities, or consulting roles where you can apply your expertise and mentor others. Joining community groups or networking with fellow retirees can provide a sense of purpose and community. Additionally, consider embracing lifelong learning opportunities to continue personal and professional growth. Approaching retirement with an open mind and a willingness to learn can lead to fulfilling experiences and a renewed sense of purpose.

The act of mentoring keeps you deeply engaged with emerging trends, challenges, and fresh perspectives. You'll be exposed to new ways of thinking that counterbalance any ingrained tendencies and keep your mind sharp and adaptive. Guiding others also reinforces your own grasp of fundamental strategic principles and best practices. In this way, mentorship becomes a powerful vehicle for personal development that transcends just pedagogy. It reinvigorates your own passion for the craft while ensuring you remain a vital force in evolving the creative strategy discipline.

Joining groups or organizations related to your interests can provide a sense of belonging and purpose. It's a chance to share your expertise and learn from others.

Volunteering your time and skills for causes you care about can give you a renewed sense of identity and fulfillment. Helping others can be incredibly rewarding and meaningful.

Make it a point to stay engaged with emerging trends, technologies and methodologies shaping the future of creative strategy. Enroll in online courses from prestigious programs or nontraditional providers. Attend virtual workshops, seminars and conferences to expose yourself to new frameworks and case studies. Remain an avid consumer of industry publications, blogs and thought leadership content. This lifelong learning mindset serves several critical purposes. First, it fosters an enriching sense of intellectual stimulation that keeps your mind active and innovation-primed. You'll gain immense personal fulfilment from the discovery of pioneering creative concepts.

Embracing the role of a consultant post-retirement can be a thrilling new chapter in your professional journey. With years of experience in Creative Strategy, you're equipped to offer invaluable insights that can shape the future of businesses. This flexible work arrangement not only keeps you connected with the industry but also offers the freedom to choose projects that align with your expertise and passions. It's a win-win: you continue to make an impact while enjoying the autonomy of retirement. Truly, consulting is a testament to the timeless value of experience.

See where else your skills and experience can be transferred. I have moved from agencies to Google, then to corporate trainings, then to E/MBA and university education. There is SO much an experienced creative strategist can do after active office life - god forbid you treat it as retirement! (naughty Linked IN). It is just a new, higher stage in your developent...

Put your mastery of creative strategy into practice by developing a powerful narrative and messaging framework that allows your new venture to stand out and resonate. Design prototypes, product launches, marketing rollouts - you have the capability to execute each component strategically and seamlessly. More than just fueling professional reinvention, entrepreneurship provides an unmatched sense of motivation, ownership and identity renewal in this next chapter. You get to be the creative force manifesting your vision into existence through calculated strategy and purposeful execution.

A creative strategist NEVER RETIRES. My goal when I retire from active duty is to capitalize on all the ideas, products, and ventures I identified in the past and build them up in a less frenetic environment.

Just a few things: - Go cry in the shower (we understand) - When you're finished crying in the shower, contemplate industries and organizations that can still benefit from an "old veteran" - When that shower is finished, find a way to get your voice to that consumer in a meaningful way. Perhaps someone has already said this, but podcasts, social media, and Events are a great way to become/remain relevant.