As I transition into “retirement,” I’m becoming increasingly aware of how important it is to keep my brain active and properly stimulated. Exercising it is essential—and for me, chess and writing go a long way. Hence Mentoring.
There are many reasons I need to step away from work: the stress, the intense adrenaline, and the immense responsibility that come with my field. These factors, more than anything, could accelerate PSP and other health issues. Not to mention the very clear directive from my professor to stop working and “spend time with my family.” I can already see the positive impact retirement is having on my health, and despite the significant financial implications, I know this is unquestionably the right decision.
That said, I need to keep my mind fully engaged after July 1st. I’ve thought carefully about how to do that, and I’ve decided to focus on mentoring. I just shared this on LinkedIn.
I’m mentioning it here because, from a health perspective, it’s clear to me that going from 100 to 0 is harmful in many ways. While stepping back is the right move given my unique circumstances—including a very aggressive terminal condition—it still leaves a gap (hopefully one that lasts for years or even decades).
I believe that retiring doesn’t mean disengaging mentally. That’s why I’m offering mentoring. If you or someone you know could benefit from it, please check out my post on LinkedIn and feel free to message me there.
____Messsage from Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7336575089309593601/)_______
I once envisioned a very different kind of retirement. But as the saying goes, “Man plans and G-d laughs.” Due to a very serious health condition, I’m now retiring from a career I loved at PwC. I’ve been grappling with how to square the circle: stepping away from a fulfilling career, urgently reducing stress, focusing on my health challenges—and still finding meaningful ways to fill the many hours I once worked.
I’ve chosen to start with some limited mentoring and coaching—what I call “Pay Forward Mentoring/Coaching.”
I would hope my 28 years of experience in PMI and complex transformations, global cultural awareness, relatively strong EQ and value I attach to integrity and business ethics can help others become better leaders, managers and business people, and help society as a result.
I’ll offer a few hours weekly (health permitting), remotely via Teams or WhatsApp, to those committed to the spirit of “Paying it Forward.”
Please help me stay engaged by signing up or encouraging the right people to apply—you’ll know intuitively who they are. I won’t have a fancy website or HR application process; it’s just me, for better or worse.
To keep things simple, please send me a PM on LinkedIn stating:
Who you are
Why you want mentoring
How I could help
How you would “Pay it Forward”
That you agree to the disclaimers below
Please use your own words but address all five points. You may need to connect with me first—if so, mention “Mentoring” when prompted.
Feel free to message me with any questions and forward this to others who might benefit.
*Disclaimers*
– All discussions will be strictly confidential, and you’ll be fully responsible for your actions before, during, and after.
– No sharing of any confidential information or data that breaches ethical or legal standards.
– Conversations will be conducted in English and held remotely.
– I will not engage in anything that crosses ethical, legal, moral, or halachic (Jewish Law) boundaries, or that harms or competes with PwC, to whom I owe great loyalty and hopefully ongoing mentoring support (separate from this).
– This is absolutely not any form of consulting (so no back door to projects!)
– I will mentor without regard to race, religion, creed, or location. The same applies to political opinion (which we won’t discuss). However, given my background as a committed Jew living in Israel, I will choose to work with people who, at a minimum, support Israel’s right to exist and flourish.
I’ll begin after retirement, health permitting. If I become overwhelmed, I may need to select or stagger mentees—my health comes first, and only a small number of hours will be available.
I won’t charge for these limited sessions—the key is that you “Pay it Forward” and I keep my brain engaged.
If I get no responses, it’ll be a sign to return to writing blogs, playing chess, and feeling restless.