Age may just be a number but turning 60 is a big deal—at least, according to three listeners who recently wrote us about the challenges they’re facing in their later years. Joy can’t decide whether to retire from her job as a high school Spanish teacher. Doug is trying to figure out where to channel his energy after a career in the military. And Kim needs to find a way to support herself for the first time in her life after a devastating divorce. On this episode of How To!, we bring on Herminia Ibarra, a professor at the London Business School and author of Working Identity. Herminia has studied life transitions extensively, discovering that we make changes by running small experiments rather than taking one flying leap into the unknown. And since our identities are so closely linked to our professional life, Herminia says, it’s important to surround yourself with new people as you conduct these experiments, testing out different possible selves and imagining what new identities may be out there for you, at any age.

If you liked this episode, check out “How To Find a New Career Before It’s Too Late.”

Do you have a seemingly impossible problem? Send us a note at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices