11 Mar My Golden Years are for Shining More Brightly than Ever

By Patricia Daly

I began a countdown to retirement five years before that welcomed day arrived on June 30, 2011. I could not wait to be free of alarm clocks, office politics and the pervasive lack of time to have fun, travel and pursue personal interests. (My career had been in grant writing. Once I retired, I never wanted to hear the “g” word [grant] again!)

The first few years were tight financially, but I was so “over” being someone else’s employee that I was determined to do whatever I could to not have to work for food! I had no intention of working for anyone but myself ever again.

I’ve loved all forms of writing ever since I was a child. In retirement, I finally had time to develop creative writing skills. At the same time, I pursued a love of spirituality and found myself combining those two passions in story forms. I joined a writing group and received positive feedback on my stories. In fact, the group encouraged me to publish my writing.

I had neither the motivation nor the stomach to travel the bleak road of seeking an agent or publisher, so I started researching self-publishing on Amazon. This was around 2013, when self-publishing was still in its childhood.

As I learned what it took to self-publish, I realized that there was a lot to learn and a lot of work to be done. I should have mentioned that the second word I never wanted to hear again was the “w” word (work)! But, if I wanted to self-publish a book—and now I did!—I had to put in the work to make it happen.

If someone had warned me that I was embarking on a second career, I would’ve said, “No way!” I wanted to enjoy a fun, stress-free retirement in my golden years. Life had other plans!

I was able to self-publish my first book, The Women in His Life: What Jesus Saw in Them, in 2014. I published a short story one year later. I didn’t think I had another book in me, but that changed over time.

When I realized my research and writing about New Thought authors of the 19^th and 20^th centuries could be developed into a method of using thought for impact and influence, I knew I’d be returning to indie-publishing to get the book into the hands of readers. By 2018 I was reading my manuscript to a new writing group.

I’d also decided to put more time into learning how to maximize the pre-launch process for maximum post-publication impact. More and more of my time was devoted to learning self-publishing through webinars, courses, summits and mastermind groups. I was working really, really hard in my new career!

There are perks: In this career, I am my own boss, accountable to only myself. My standards and expectations are high, but I’m learning every day. I have a wide circle of writer friends and writer colleagues from around the country—and the globe. I belong to online mastermind groups and coaching groups. I’ve learned how to reach out for help and advice.

And expansion is in the cards: I’m planning to use my new book, The Deliberate Thinker: A 12-Lesson Method to Empower Your Mind and Influence Your World, as the springboard for courses and coaching. I’ll host my own webinars and online summits in the years to come.

My golden years are not turning out as I expected! I’m in my early 70s and anticipate at least another 10 years of growth, both personally and professionally.

I love my new career, as challenging as it is. Now, instead of fading into the sunset, I’m planning to leave a legacy that my descendants can be proud of!

I want my grandchildren to say, “That’s grandmom. She published her first book when she was 65 and paid our way through college through her business success! Thanks, grandmom!”