Grab Your Next Vine

Remember the old Tarzan movies? Our hero was swinging through the trees, focused on his mission to save Jane from disaster. Rather than calling an Uber, he leaped from a tall tree, grabbed a vine, swung to the next vine, and continued swinging until he completed his quest.

But what would happen if he stopped to decide which vine to grab next? Or even worse, what if he didn’t let go of the last vine as he reached for the next one? Either way, he would not save Jane because he wasted all his energy flailing his feet to regain momentum.

Do you ever feel like Tarzan? Using all your energy looking for the next vine to grab or hanging onto the last vine so tightly that you grind to a halt? This can be a common problem for those of us in the third third of life as we search for a renewed sense of purpose. The shock of retirement and other major life transitions can stall our progress and leave us dangling between what was and what could be.

The Apostle Paul faced a “Tarzan moment” after he completed his missionary travels and was imprisoned in Rome. He was well into his third third when he wrote about his desire to grab the next vine and not be stopped in his pursuit of purpose in Philippians 3:10-14:

“Not that I have already…arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me… I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

In this brief passage, Paul gives us a three-step process to help us discover what’s next in our life: 1) Forget the past, 2) focus on purpose, and 3) forge ahead. So, let’s follow this path and see if it helps us release the last vine and grab the next vine.

Forget the Past – Reorganize Your Backpack

One of the biggest dangers we face as we age is feeling like we are losing our significance and sense of purpose. I had lunch with a friend who recently retired from a high-level leadership career. When I asked about his retirement, he talked about playing golf and traveling. Suddenly, he looked at me seriously and said, “Honestly, when I was working, I felt I was somebody doing important work. Now, I’m not sure who I am, and I feel like I don’t really have a purpose anymore.”

One of the biggest dangers we face as we age is feeling like we are losing our significance and sense of purpose.

Most of us carry an imaginary backpack filled with memories of past successes and failures. We often cling to our backpack because it helps us define our significance—who we have been and who we think we are. However, the older we get, the heavier the backpack becomes until it threatens to weigh us down and keep us focused on our past, not our future. Many of the things we store in our backpacks are feelings and emotions about our past that are not worthy of dragging into our future.

Paul’s backpack was fuller than most: he remembered being a murderous zealot, then his life-changing encounter with Jesus, followed by years of life-changing missionary adventures. As Paul sat in prison, he could easily have spent his time reminiscing. Instead, he showed he was ready to release the last vine and reach out for the next one when he wrote, “…one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind…”

Paul knew he needed to sort through his backpack and “forget” what he could use to help him craft a new future. He knew he needed to keep the wisdom of what he had learned but release the burden of the emotions he felt about the trials and experiences that helped create that wisdom.

To avoid clinging to your last vine, try sorting through your backpack and retaining only what is worthy of taking into your future. Then, remove all the nonessential memories and feelings and toss them in the corner so you can focus on the wisdom you learned from your experiences without being weighed down by emotions.

Focus on Purpose – Follow Your GPS

In Philippians 3, Paul said this about purpose: “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of me.” If I asked why Christ took hold of you, could you tell me? Could you say with no reservations—this is my purpose and calling today?

Paul is clear that our lives do not end with retirement, aging, or other changes that seem to throw us off course. In Ephesians 2:10 he said, “… we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” As Christians, God always has a purpose for us to fulfill. It may change and morph as we age, but we always want to be in the process of finding and fulfilling God’s purpose for us today.

As Christians, God always has a purpose for us to fulfill. It may change and morph as we age, but we always want to be in the process of finding and fulfilling God’s purpose for us today.

Defining our purpose is easier said than done, so let me suggest a process that has helped many others rediscover purpose.

Think about the navigation system in your car. It is based on a GPS that tells you where you are and enables you to find your destination. We all have a personal GPS system that we use to find personal direction. Your personal GPS helps you organize the wisdom in your backpack to discover new purpose and give direction. In your personal GPS system, your G stands for Giftedness—what you do best, your P means Passion—what you love to do, and S relates to Standards—what values you hold most dear.

Imagine how motivating it would be to spend the rest of your life doing what you do best, accomplishing what you love most, and being focused on the people and causes most important to you. That would be a life of real purpose. So, if you find yourself still holding on to your old vine and trying to reach for your next vine, take a quick GPS inventory by writing down the answers to these questions:

• G – Giftedness – What do you do better than most other people? What are you least competent at doing?
• P – Passion – What did you love doing as a kid? What do you do now that makes time fly by?
• S – Standards – Who or what is most important to you. Where would you like to have an impact?

The point where these three elements intersect helps direct you to your purpose, like a GPS screen showing you a new destination.

My friend, George, discovered power and direction where his giftedness, passions, and standards intersected, and he is using his GPS to impact countless people. George loved fishing, but in retirement, he discovered that fishing every day was boring. When he assessed his GPS, he realized he was a gifted teacher and mentor. Also, being ex-military, he felt it was vital to help returning veterans. So, he combined three of his GPS components – love of fishing, gift of teaching, and military support, into a mentoring ministry that takes wounded and returning vets fishing.

Forge Ahead – Build a Third Third Plan

After Paul’s incredible ministry, who could blame him for wanting to kick back and relax? Instead, he wrote, “…this one thing I do, I press on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of me.” Paul had a plan for the third of his life to rediscover purpose, focus on that purpose, and move forward to make an impact.

You may have a financial plan that helps you invest and spend your money or a carefully crafted estate plan to direct your heirs. But do you have a purpose plan for your third third of life? We’ve seen how Paul and George both created clear-cut plans that helped them focus on their most motivating goals and empowered them to forge ahead.

Many of us experience the third third of life in three distinct stages: Go-Go, Slow-Go, and No-Go. During the Go-Go stage, we have the energy, health, money, and motivation to be very active and pursue many goals and ventures. In the Slow-Go stage, age begins to catch up to us, and we start to cut down on activities. In the No-Go stage, our motivation can slow to a crawl.

The problem with not having a clear purpose plan at the outset of our third third of life is that we cannot go back and recapture the time we might have wasted during the first part. I know many people who now live their Slo-Go and No-Go stages with regret over relationships they never strengthened, things they wanted to do but never did, and wisdom they could have shared but never did.

The problem with not having a clear purpose plan at the outset of our third third of life is that we cannot go back and recapture the time we might have wasted during the first part.

Wrap These Three Steps in Prayer

If you want to release the last vine and grab the next vine, get serious about building a Third Third Game Plan. First, examine your backpack. What memories are not worthy of dragging into your future? What wisdom did you learn from your experiences that will guide your journey? Next, discover where your three GPS elements intersect, as George did. Finally, make this exercise a process. Write down your thoughts and insights, then share them with your spouse or trusted friends for further input.

Most importantly, pray about your plan and ask God for direction. Remember, He built you for a life of purpose that does not end with you hanging by both vines.