This week, many of us will be enjoying an extended Bank Holiday weekend marking the Queen’s 70-year reign. An incredible feat, that is not likely to be surpassed for generations to come. 

Making retirement plans is something the Queen has not done, and nor do they do this in Japan. There is no word in Japanese for retirement, they simply ‘move on to the next thing’. 

This got me thinking… what’s it like to be in the same role for such a long period of time? When you look back at your career, how many different roles have you had? Indeed, how many career changes have you had? We all like to move on, develop and look for exciting new adventures but can you do this in a role for decades at a time? 

That are lot of questions I have about this subject and I want to explore this a bit more with you, Fans of Plans.

1.     Keeping it fresh

Perhaps the most important thing in any role is to keep horizon scanning to anticipate potential new challenges and not to become complacent in what you are doing. 

Don’t let your way of thinking become ‘but we’ve always done it like this’ but make sure you continue to ask ‘why do we do it like this?’. By asking this question about your process regularly will help you to look into ways of making improvements. 

2.     Never stop learning

No matter what role we are in, there are always new things to learn. Keeping on top of your continued professional development (CPD) will help you to embrace new concepts and ideas. You can even look into mentoring others to help with any succession planning in your organisation or field of expertise. 

3.     Changing your narrative

Reinventions are necessity for longevity – look at the likes of Kylie Minogue, perhaps one of the masters of reinvention (I say this as a big Kylie fan!). She looks to the current trends, what her current and potential audiences are interested in and shifts ahead to ensure she is still current. You don’t get asked to perform on the Legends slot at Glastonbury without some level of nostalgia combined with reinvention kudos! 

If you keep on top of these three simple steps, there’s no reason that being in the same role for decades can’t be as exciting as innovative as starting a new role or career. Oh, and perhaps the fourth and final step in this is… Love what you do!

PS - If you are keen for some individual wellbeing tips to complement this Working Well life, check our Personal Planner Lauren's Relationship With Self blog, out fortnightly on Tuesdays. You can read the latest edition here:  https://www.makemeaplan.com/news/