Navigate retirement with help from a coach
Ceci Zak wants to guide you into your 3 rd Third with purpose and a sense of fulfillment
Cecia Zak/Courtesy photo
Think of life being divided into three parts, where the early years of our lives are spent being cared for and nurtured while developing academically and socially. Much preparation goes into getting us ready for the next portion of our lives. That second phase consists of launching careers, earning an income and raising a family, but what about the last phase of our lives? Who prepares us for retirement, empty nesting, a loss of a parent or a spouse, an illness? What type of education do we get that teaches us what works when we’re not working? How to do we find fulfillment in our later years?
Ceci Zak has come up with a strategy on how to enter and thrive in this section of our lives that she dubs our 3rd Third.
Zak calls herself a modern elder pathfinder who can help you reimagine what the 3rd Third in your life can look like. It can feel out of reach, but with intention, focus and realization, she believes it is possible.
“I’m an architect of life’s transitions and I want to help others to find their passions and live their best lives in the 3rd Third,” Zak said.
Zak’s 2nd Third was full of big corporate jobs that spanned many industries. She was an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School, a nonprofit leader, TEDx speaker, winner of multiple awards and much more. And then came the shake ups. Zak calls them life quakes, and they can take you by surprise. Next thing she knew, her life changed from all that stability to getting a divorce, navigating job changes, moving and being diagnosed with heart disease.
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Those changes, especially all at once, shook Zak’s foundation, but once she could recognize the transition she was in, get her ego out of it and move forward, she felt the power and possibility of a life better lived and wanted to create this program for others. Through years of research and training, she’s been certified as a transition life coach.
“There are three stages to a transition. It’s what we call a new ending because who you were before that life quake was what it was. Once you realize and move out of a place of denial about that life quake happening, you get into what I call the messy middle. And that messy middle is where people really get stuck. The stories they tell themselves, the beliefs they’ve had growing up really hold them in this messy middle,” Zak said.
To help people navigate the messy middle, Zak uses a research-based framework built around what Zak calls The 5 P’s:
- Personal life
- Psychological health
- Physical well being
- Purpose
- Place
“My goal is to help people recognize the transition that they’re in and understand how to create that vision of what they really want out of life so that they can transition through those challenges and live that free, fulfilled, joyous life,” Zak said.
“Maybe your kids are going off to college, a spouse passes, or you’re getting pushed out of a job much sooner than anticipated, this is where I come in to help. I feel like there’s all sorts of training, classes and tips on how to save money and be financially sound for retirement, but what else happens in retirement? That’s where this training can help.”
Zak offers coaching and consulting, workshops, speaking engagement and retreats. Her next retreat will be at Knapp Ranch outside of Edwards in June. She’s also starting a podcast called Meaningful MEtirement.
“I’ll interview people that have pearls of wisdom and who focus on themselves and find that joy that they’re looking for, and share that with others,” Zak said. “I also want to remind people that they don’t have to do this alone. The 3rd Third is all about having people who will hold you accountable, you need motivation from others as well.”
When’s the best time to plan for your 3rd Third?
“The perfect age is 50 to 60, but the people that I’ve been working with the most are 60 and older. What they have recognized is that it’s not too late. But the biggest feedback I’ve gotten is people saying, ‘I wish I had planned for this earlier.'”
Need a blueprint for your 3rd Third? Why not make this the best third yet.
“Don’t let joy be something that’s down the road,” Zak said. “The key takeaway is that life is short, and if you have these ideas, these dreams, these outcomes you want, let’s work towards it. If not now, when?”
