Finding Your Way in Your Encore

Graduation is a time for looking back and looking ahead, for endings and new beginnings, for sadness and excitement. For University of Minnesota Advanced Careers (UMAC) fellows, we approached the end of the academic year with that same mix of emotions.

We ended the 2018-19 year with reflections on how we have grown and changed, individually and collectively. To capture these insights, we tapped Visual Explorer, an image-based tool developed by the Center for Creative Leadership. Fellows chose images to represent their experiences over the last year and to frame their hopes for the future. Here are some themes that emerged.

Importance of community

The cohort’s sense of community was powerful and impactful for the fellows. The connections they made with each other allowed them to take risks and step out of their comfort zones. The support they experienced helped them work towards goals that mattered to them.  

We believe that the cohort approach can be instrumental to meaningful growth in encore adulthood – that life stage that follows the career building years but before the frailties of old age, where roadmaps are scarce and existing models of retirement are outdated. We found this to be true with UMAC – the connections that were formed in this cohort helped the fellows explore new paths and grow in meaningful ways.

This is a journey, not a destination

Fellows described the path ahead as a journey, not a destination. Images of highway on-ramps and off-ramps, of twists and turns in the road ahead captured this sentiment. The foundation of UMAC helped them feel more prepared for the uncertainties of the future, however. They described feeling more confident in their ability to navigate, to steer their lives in directions that make sense for them. Fellows understood that life will offer many options ahead, and that there is freedom to keep exploring, and to slow down and appreciate what the journey has to offer.

The path ahead can be difficult 

Fellows acknowledged that this process is difficult at times, and the path ahead can be steep and rugged, and shrouded in fog. Yet they saw these challenges as necessary to truly embrace what’s next. A need for trust emerged in our discussions – trust that they will figure it out, that they can move through the challenges and come out of it stronger.

Hope for the future

UMAC’s intergenerational component shaped how the fellows framed their experience. Connecting with young adults rekindled a sense of optimism and hope for the future. Fellows described their commitment to giving back to the next generation, and a belief that we can learn from the younger generations.

Evolving sense of self

We were reminded that personal transformation is an inner and an outer journey. The inner journey entails seeing the self in new light, and the importance of staying grounded. This foundation allows an outer journey, of learning to be themselves, to take risks and not worry about failing. As fellows let go of what used to define them, they valued the freedom to create new identities that reflect who they want to be now and into the future.

We hoped UMAC would offer time and space for fellows to explore legacy and community, and to imagine a future of possibilities. Our 2018-19 fellows did this and more. They deepened their sense of self and expanded their sense of community. They stepped out of their comfort zones and tried on new identities. They learned from each other and rekindled their passions.

And through this process they embraced the present and opened themselves up to a future still in progress.  

Does this process resonate for you? Are you considering a transition in your life? UMAC is recruiting for our 2019-20 cohort. Apply now.