After the Exit
Dec 18, 2023
Life is full of exits. You enter life exiting the womb and exit it entering the tomb.
And that journey from womb to tomb is riddled with additional exits like graduating from school, retiring from personal and professional roles, and ending relationships.
Exits Are Also Entryways
Even when you have an exit strategy for these moment, does it set you up for success in what’s next for you?
The entrepreneurs I work with have a plan to dispose of their investment in a business venture or financial asset. Their exit strategy helps them minimize losses and maximize profits on investments.
But these same talented and thoughtful clients rarely have any plan for what’s next. Why? Because they don’t have clarity about what they actually really want in life.
Even when they do, they often do not fully comprehend where they’re starting from and how to most efficiently and effectively close the gap.
What about you? What’s your next exit? What’s your exit strategy? And how can that exit become the doorway to a bigger and brighter next chapter in your life?
Here are some things to consider.
Know Thyself
“You can’t step into the same river twice.”—Heraclitus
You’re not the same person when you exit that you were when you entered, and context and circumstances change. Take the time for some self-reflection and self-awareness.
Who are you, what are you good at, and where do you belong now?
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What are your current values, beliefs, and guiding principles?
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What talents and skills do you possess that bring you the greatest joy and fulfillment when you’re employing them?
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Where do you find the greatest sense of belonging, security, and joy?
I use a specific process and set of tools to help clients answer these questions, but self-assessment tools like personality tests and reflective journaling are a place to begin.
Decide Where You’re Going
“If you do not know to what port you are is steering, no wind is favorable.”—Seneca
Early in life, destinations are set for us by parents, teachers, and societal pressures, but what do you want next? Why?
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What’s your current vision for your life?
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What do you want to work toward?
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What matters to you now?
With enough clarity about who you are and where you’re heading, you can begin to compass your way forward more confidently.
And unanticipated obstacles and opportunities may necessitate changes in destination or course correction.
You can find most of the principles and practices I share with clients to mitigate risk, cultivate resilience, and define and take the next best step into possibility in this publication. Search the archive1 or contact me2 if you need help finding the right resource for you right now.
Learn How to Get There
“First say to yourself what you would be, and then do what you have to do.”—Epictetus
If you’ve addressed knowing who you are and what you want, you’ve established a destination and starting point. But how do you close that gap?
More importantly, how do you get from where you are to where you want to be with the least time, effort, and risk (and enjoy the journey)?
When I help clients define their goal achievement strategy, I rely on reasoning from first principles, systems thinking, and micro steps.
In other words, we are answering these questions.
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“What’s required to get the desired result?”
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“What’s the most efficient way to accomplish those tasks?”
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“What’s the next best smallest step I can take now?”
Answering and acting on these questions provides a daily discipline that helps you close the gap between where (and who) you are and where (and who) you want to be with less risk and effort and in far less time.
Final Considerations
This guide intends to provide high-level insights for navigating into your “what’s next” after the exit. There is no prescriptive roadmap or one-size-fits-all blueprint for this journey. Your exit will also be your entry into a highly individualized next chapter because each of us possesses unique talents, temperaments, or tolerances.
Here are three final considerations.
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Relationships are your most potent force multiplier. Find the mentors and fellow travelers you need to support and encourage your adventures in stepping into possibility.
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Reserve the right to change your mind. There are unforeseen obstacles and opportunities ahead that may require course correction or shifting destination, and that’s okay.
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The process is the shortcut and the reward. The intention and integrity of your journey ensure that you learn, have fun, and grow as you go. Purpose, prosperity, and peace of mind come when you trust the process (and yourself).
Good luck and onward!
See the archive1 and email link2 in the footnotes to receive answers to your questions or resources or help with immediate challenges.
Be Well. Do good. Have fun!
Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose
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