Do you have a career regret? Maybe you dreamed of being a
writer, but chose a career in banking because it paid the bills. Or perhaps
you imagined having your own brewery, testing new recipes and creating a
community of beer enthusiasts. However, your real job got in the way of fulfilling
this dream.
When I reflect on my career, my one regret is I didn’t
accept an invitation to interview with Viking Sewing Machine Co. in Minneapolis.
I always wanted to be a home economist in business. I was in love with the idea
of living the “Mary Tyler Moore lifestyle.”
So, when Viking Sewing Machine Company called, why didn’t I
accept an invitation to interview?
The position paid 2/3 of what I was earning at an
educational institution. I had trouble making a living on this salary while
living in a rural New York town. How could I possibly move to a big city and
live on 1/3 less income? I believed I would have to
borrow from my parents to meet monthly expenses. This might be the norm in
2014—it wasn’t acceptable in 1984.
If similar pressures impacted your career
decisions, the good news is that there isn’t only ONE thing that you were meant to
be. Retirement is the perfect time to uncover regrets, and address unfinished business or
unfulfilled dreams. As George Eliot said, “It’s never too late to be what you
might have been.”
Although my career followed an educational path, my dream
to work in Corporate America remained alive. Dreams that are meant to be don’t die. They may be dormant for a while, 30 years in my case, but if they
are real, their spirit remains strong.
I’m using my “retirement years” to breathe life into this
dream. I’m acting boldly. (It’s too late to play it safe.) And my efforts are
paying off. Within a few weeks I may be living my dream of working in
Corporate America. Retirement has given me a second chance to live life with no
regrets—to become what I might have been.
