Changing Gear: Creating the Life You Want After a Full On Career

by Jan Hall, Jon Stokes

'Changes occur all the time. They can be identifiable and dramatic, or they can emerge imperceptibly, creeping up on you until one day you realise your foundations are less solid than you imagined. At this point in your life you need to find a new path.'

Coping with transition can be hard at every stage of life, but it presents unique challenges as we come to the time of our lives when we are facing the end of full-on, full-time work.

Changing Gear looks at why work is such an important part of a person's identity, and how challenging it can be when it's time to change gear, whether that's to explore a new path or take a step back from our careers entirely.

Offering insight, advice and practical exercises to help you make the right decisions, this valuable guide gives you the tools to navigate complicated situations, identify what's most important, and develop the skills you need to cope with change.

352 pages, Paperback

Published February 25, 2021

Reviews

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of this book, which offers accounts of people’s moves to retirement and analyses thereof, is fascinating and very useful for people who are just starting to think about making a change. The second half of the book encourages readers to plan for their retirements using a variety of practical techniques and tools, based on the mix of psychology and business/management that the authors bring to the book. I think that section may be useful in the period more immediately before retirement. I was a bit disappointed that so little is said about financial changes associated with retirement; the authors simple direct readers to the specialist help of a financial planner, but surely there is a lot of thinking to do around living life on a different budget that isn’t simply the bottom line. Even so, think this book fills a gap in the literature and does so very competently. I know a few retirees who would have benefitted from reading this before they look the plunge.

[Luciana Vichino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical, full of cases, recommendations and reflecting exercises, sharing some of the interesting theories behind those when relevant.