When we retire, important shifts become necessary, such as from “doing” to “being,” from “competition” to “cooperation,” and from “acquiring” to “letting go.” One sign you’re making the shift is that you’ve been thinking less about being happy and more about having meaning in your life. Another sign is that you’ve become vaguely dissatisfied, and people or activities you used to enjoy no longer hold interest. Now, you want to find meaningful replacements.

We all know people who have retired and then found themselves drifting around the house looking for something useful to do, or trying to find significance in playing golf. (We also know people who are stuck in career paths they abhor, but are afraid to step out of their ruts.) No matter what your age, the challenge is to figure out what it is that will wholeheartedly engage you.

I’ll admit I’m fascinated by this subject because I’m in that stage of life and manifesting all its classic signs. A while ago, I redid an entire garden, turning it from a mish-mash of miscellaneous plants into an area of delightful charm and beauty. I started, then sold, a consulting business devoted to helping college grads launch their careers. I helped coordinate my high school reunion. And then I wrote a novel about three women making life changes as they prepared for their 40th reunion.

When going through this passage of life, try to be conscious about what you’re doing. Otherwise, anxiety or depression or purposeless might set in. The joy of going through it with intention is that you will focus on relationships with yourself, with God, and with others. You’ll become your true self. You’ll like yourself better and accept yourself as you are.

Whatever your age, those are valid reasons to make now the time to live the life you’ve always wanted.