Finding My New Center of Gravity
I recently celebrated one of life’s milestone birthdays - turning 50. With another trip around the sun behind me, it was an opportunity for me to reflect, recalibrate and refocus.
When you turn 50 there is an instinct to categorize life as “before 50” and “after 50.” As I’ve been reflecting on the first half of my life and try to envision what the next half could bring, I realize that I need to find a new center of gravity. One that doesn’t revolve completely around children and my career.
Like I, many of my friends have become (or are preparing to be) empty nesters, sending our kids off to college or to their next big adventure. We haven’t seen this kind of freedom in 18+ years, and I’m realizing that with freedom comes choices. Is it time to move to the city that I dreamed of before settling down to start a family? Or do I want to stay closer to where my kids are? What happens when they want to move? What about my extended family? How can I be closer to them, while also being close to the work I love? How do I build in giving back and spend more time with the philanthropic efforts my wife Lori and I are involved in?
In the first quarter of life, our center of gravity tends to be focused on ourselves. In the second quarter, for many, it’s dedicated to the mission of serving our families. In the third quarter, where is my next center of gravity going to be?
After Appirio and my time at Wipro, I spent the next 18 months in a true discovery model both on the personal and the professional side and it was truly a gift. It gave me time to explore what I wanted to do and what I didn’t want to do, and led me to envision my current venture, Tercera. Now, with Tercera off and running and our three kids out of the nest, I’m finding happiness and balance in new ways and it’s pretty amazing.
The simple truth I’ve come to is time is the greatest commodity. And that truth is going to guide me through my next chapter.
I’ve also been putting a lot of intention behind where I want to be. Remote work is a blessing and I, for one, am going to make the most of it. I still plan to spend lots of time kayaking in Mexico, surrounding myself with true friends and exploring Lake Michigan from Winnetka, IL, but we’re actively investigating a possible new home base and I couldn’t be more excited.
The fun and beauty of it all is how different this looks for everyone. Maybe you’ll want to devote more time to philanthropy, optimize your health and fitness, or learn a new skill like sailing or woodworking. Whether we lean into it or not, the truth is that our centers of gravity are always shifting and evolving. Where do you want to be, who will you surround yourself with and what do you want to learn in your next chapter?
