Reinventing Your Life, Your Career

Published February 20, 2017 at 10:00 AM CST

Farmer Ken Jaffe on the grounds of his Slope Farms in Meredith, NY. Before his life as a butcher in the Western Catskills, Jaffe spent 25 years as a family doctor in Park Slope, Brooklyn. (Ully Kjarval / Chefs for the Marcellus)

This program was originally broadcast on March 17, 2016.

Second acts in life. We’ll look at what it takes to reinvent yourself, your career – early, mid-life, and late.

Maybe it’s just me, but right now I have people I care about in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s, all thinking about reinventing their lives, their work, their careers. For some, it’s a new economy forcing change. For some, it’s dreams on hold. For some, it’s just an itch that “there must be something better.” How do people make those transitions? Successfully? That’s our subject. This hour On Point, reconfiguring, reinventing, your life, your career. — Tom Ashbrook

Guests

Jane Brody, personal health columnist for the New York Times. Author of “ Jane Brody’s Nutrition Book” and “ Jane Brody’s Good Food Book,” among many others.

Marc Freedman, founder and CEO of Encore.org. Author of “ The Big Shift.” ( @marc_freedman)

Pamela Mitchell, founder and CEO of the Reinvention Institute. Author of “ The 10 Laws of Career Reinvention.” ( @thecoachpamela)

Gretchen Rubin, writer, author and happiness expert. Author of the books “ Better Than Before,” “ Happier at Home” and “ The Happiness Project.” Host of the “Happier with Gretchen Rubin” podcast. ( @gretchenrubin)

From Tom’s Reading List

New York Times: Reinventing Yourself — “Maybe you lost your job, or your interest in the job you’ve been doing. Maybe a divorce or death in the family has threatened your economic stability. Maybe you think you’re now too old or lack the training to switch to something more satisfying or remunerative.”

The Atlantic: Quit Your Job — “Even if you could endure your mid-career doldrums, mounting evidence suggests that you would probably be better off adjusting course. Your next job might not be the one you have imagined in your daydreams: Successful career shifts, I learned, tend to be less dramatic than the ones we fantasize about. They also tend to be scarier and more difficult than anticipated. But if you want to thrive in the years ahead, a new challenge, and a new purpose, may be the things your brain needs most.”

TIME: Surprising Secrets of Successful Second-Act Career Changers — “A new report dashes stereotypes about older workers and their ability to find rewarding jobs. Some upbeat news for older workers looking for a fresh start: It may be easier than you think to launch a second act—if you make the right moves.”