Changing Gear

'Changes occur all the time. They can be identifiable and dramatic, or they can emerge imperceptibly, creeping up on you until one day you realise your foundations are less solid than you imagined. At this point in your life you need to find a new path.'

Coping with transition can be hard at every stage of life, but it presents unique challenges as we come to the time of our lives when we are facing the end of full-on, full-time work.

Changing Gear looks at why work is such an important part of a person's identity, and how challenging it can be when it's time to change gear, whether that's to explore a new path or take a step back from our careers entirely.

Offering insight, advice and practical exercises to help you make the right decisions, this valuable guide gives you the tools to navigate complicated situations, identify what's most important, and develop the skills you need to cope with change.

“In a world in which we are all living longer, Changing Gear helps us to think deeply about how best to use this extra time. Jan and Jon draw on their immense experience to guide you through the transition from a full-on career to a rich and fulfilling life”

In a world in which we are all living longer, Changing Gear helps us to think deeply about how best to use this extra time. Jan and Jon draw on their immense experience to guide you through the transition from a full-on career to a rich and fulfilling life Camilla Cavendish, author of Extra Time
Ever since I was young, I was amazed how bad people seemed at changing gear. Now I've driven into changing-gear land myself, I can only marvel at this book, which is full of practical wisdom. The gears can indeed be changed, without creaks and groans, but with a nice sweet glide Sir Anthony Seldon, author of Beyond Happiness
In their new book, Changing Gear, Jan Hall, a former headhunter, and Jon Stokes, a psychologist, discuss the strategies that people can follow when approaching the "third stage" of life, after their childhood and their careers . . . This is a critical issue. Think of all the time people spend deciding which university they would like to attend, which course they would like to study and which career they would wish to follow. Deciding on their post-career lifestyle is just as important. They may have decades left to enjoy . . . [They] must work out who they have been, who they are now and who they would like to become. [Changing Gear] presents a series of case studies of people who have been through this kind of upheaval, some a lot more successfully than others . . . readers will discover that the individual stories are instructive and the questions posed by the authors are important. The Economist
How to prepare for life after an intense career. In Changing Gear . . . authors Jan Hall and Jon Stokes set out how this next life - or "third age" - might be approached. Financial Times
At a time of great inflection, many are asking big questions about "what next" in their careers and lives. Changing Gears offers a practical and powerful roadmap for the route ahead, drawing on rich case studies and the deep experience of the authors. Henry Timms, Co-Founder of Giving Tuesday

Jan Hall (Author)

Jan Hall is a successful entrepreneur and business leader. She is now an adviser to FTSE 100 CEOs and Chairmen. She was a leading global headhunter for over 20 years, has sat as a Non-Executive Director on multiple boards, and coaches top leaders.

In 2013 she wrote Dementia Essentials - How to Guide a Loved One Through Dementia (Vermilion), which was her way of grieving following the death of her mother.

Jon Stokes (Author)

Jon Stokes is a clinical psychologist and one of the UK's top leadership coaches. He has taught for many years at Oxford University as a Senior Fellow at Said Business School and is a Senior Member of St Antony's College. His research and writing focuses on leadership for the modern world.

His publications include chapters on 'The Psychodynamics of Teams' and 'Organisational Stress' in The Unconscious at Work and 'Why do we work' in Talking Cure, the book accompanying a TV series, and 'Leadership and Executive Coaching' in The Sage Handbook of Coaching.

'Changes occur all the time. They can be identifiable and dramatic, or they can emerge imperceptibly, creeping up on you until one day you realise your foundations are less solid than you imagined. At this point in your life you need to find a new path.' Coping with transition can be hard at every stage of life, but it presents unique challenges as we come to the time of our lives when we are facing the end of full-on, full-time work. Changing Gear looks at why work is such an important part of a person's identity, and how challenging it can be when it's time to change gear, whether that's to explore a new path or take a step back from our careers entirely. Offering insight, advice and practical exercises to help you make the right decisions, this valuable guide gives you the tools to navigate complicated situations, identify what's most important, and develop the skills you need to cope with change.

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