Remember the story of Cinderella? Cinderella is forced to work long hours by the wicked stepmother and stepsisters. By the end of the day, her body and spirit feel exhausted.

How much can you relate to Cinderella’s experience in the modern workplace?

Do you feel exhausted by the end of the day?

Being a third age rebel, I am against traditional retirement. Though my current job will end in 62 days, I am not sure if I would go for the idea of “work till I drop”. So, I engaged in a monologue as I reflected on my next steps. I asked myself two questions:

• Why do people work?

• Why do I choose to work at my age when money is not the key driver?

Here goes the monologue.

Why do people work?

People work to exchange their time and energy for money so they can live independently.

People work to contribute to society by using their talents, skills, and experiences.

People work because they need a routine to keep them busy or engaged.

People work because work activities can be fun.

People work because they gain satisfaction doing what they love.

People work to stay connected to the outside world and people.

People work because they want to sharpen their skills to get better at their crafts for intrinsic reasons.

In short,

·        People work to live

·        People work for money

·        People work to give back

·        People work to stay active

·        People work to feel satisfied

·        People work to improve their skills

·        People work to engage with people

·        People work to pursue a higher purpose

·        People work to connect with the outside world

Why do I choose to work at my age (60+)?

I choose to work because I want to keep up my work-related skills.

I choose to work because I want to grow my nest egg to provide for my future needs.

I choose to work because my skills are still in demand, i.e., it will be a waste of talents and rewards if I no longer generate a good income from my marketable skills.

I choose to work because paid work gives me a sense of satisfaction, i.e., I feel valued, I feel a sense of identity, I feel engaged, etc.

I choose to work because I am fearful of losing my cognitive abilities.

I choose to work because if I stop now, I may never find another job again.

I choose to work because I do not want to stay idle for twenty or thirty more years since I may enjoy longevity like both my parents into their eighties and nineties.

I choose to work because work gives me a sense of purpose that I have something to look forward to when I get up in the morning.

I choose to work because work gives me meaning when I can contribute something in the workplace; life is interesting when there are problems to solve; I feel enriched when I coach teams to overcome obstacles.

I choose to work because I want to help individuals and teams to fulfill their potentials.

I choose to work because there are many opportunities for individuals and organizations to make constructive impacts in social causes and global issues rather than focusing on consumerism and financial returns.

There are so many compelling reasons to keep working. Distilling from complex philosophical, emotional, psychological, existential, and spiritual reasons, it boils down to a simple answer. I am passionate about helping individuals, teams, and organizations to elevate their potentials by adopting an agile mindset.

In short,

• I choose to work because I love what I do as an agile coach.

Doing what you love is invigorating. You will unlikely feel exhausted by day end. I hope you have a job that best suits your personality, interests, talents, skills, values, and passion. If not, you are empowered to change.

Not to Give Up

I am confident about my skills, experience, and drive to succeed in an agile coaching role. However, there are many barriers to landing my next job, such as systemic ageism, negative stereotypes of older workers, and severe competition, to name a few. I have already faced 100% rejection from my recent round of job applications. However, I know my “why” and I am motivated to keep on trying. Why would I give up something I love that is transformative?

Do you know your “why” yet?

The answer to your reasons will assist your job search.

Next post, I will share my job search strategy.