Big Papi Needs a Job

Deciding What We Do Next

David Ortiz retired from the Boston Red Sox last year as one of the most successful baseball players in Sox history – and one of the most beloved.

I met Big Papi several weeks ago in the Little Havana section of Miami. He is filming a Fusion TV series entitled Big Papi Needs a Job. He retired at 40 – famous and well off. The premise of the series is answering the question “What job should Big Papi have now?” Ortiz will try everything from making beer to being a manicurist.

We think “what do we do now?” when approaching retirement. But there are other points in our lives when seriously asking that question can change our lives in important ways.

• 1st job after college
• kids are out of the house
• sold your company
• your long-term job ends
• your job is at a dead end
• your marriage ends
• you are tired of your job

This is more than a mid-life crises question where the guy buys a red sports car, and all is well. Our lives can be richer and more satisfying if we pause at possible inflection points like these and ask – what do we want the next phase of our life to be?

Designing Your Life is a terrific best seller by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans outlining how to work through this question. Interesting, fun read with a well defined process for getting beyond our conventional thinking and trying different paths before making big commitments. Check it out. Could change your life.