Staying relevant

How to ensure that you matter

I’ve seen via our Modern Careers1 program that people tend to evolve from questioning meaningfulness and purpose at mid-career, to later wondering how they will stay relevant. Will I be viewed by others as still having something worthwhile to offer. Do I still have enough time to make a difference?

The questions arise from cultural focus on youth. That’s a challenge we cannot solve in this post.

Here, we will focus on what is for sure in our own control.

The most important person who must believe you are relevant is you.

As a practical, addressable issue, being relevant means staying involved in what we think matters. At any age. A mix of defining, exploring and acting.

You could start by quickly gathering your own “Relevance” benchmark: Take out a sheet of paper or open a doc / our A&G Relevance worksheet (PDF) and give “stream-of-consciousness” answers for each of the three themes that follow. In this order. Without overthinking or editing. Go from topic to topic, noting a few bullets about each question. For each, write anything, even if it is simply “I have no idea.” Get it all down in 10 minutes, max 20.

Relevance. Explore your approach

1. Purpose. What is the core of my purpose – of what I find most meaningful? (Click here if you want a tip to get started.) What one experience have I added in the last year that changed or confirmed my view of it? What did I observe via reading and exploration about my purpose that surprised me?

2. Daily living structure. How does my daily routine ensure that I invest time in my purpose? On what specific topics does it ensure that you stay up-to-date? What adjustments could I make to better align?

3. Coolness. (We noted previously in How to be Cool that Coolness has to do with autonomy and self-expression of your own view.) What one or two actions have I taken to express my purpose and niche in the last year? How is culture and society changing related to my purpose? What couple of topics will I need to know more about in the next year?

When you have jotted down your inputs on all three topics, step back and read it all together. When finished reading, circle or highlight the one thing in the entire doc that most stands out to you as important going forward. One thing (choose!)

Then write yourself one next step you will take to act on it.

That’s it. Congratulations. The most important person has decided you are relevant: you.

1 Modern Careers: What’s your strategy? Evening seminars hosted in our Studio since 2009, a career check for experienced professionals in six modules. Occasionally licensed to companies as part of custom programs.