What do you want now?

It sounds like a simple question. But after years of organizing your life around your kids, your spouse, your parents, your work, and everyone else’s schedules, it can be surprisingly difficult to answer.

In this episode of Encore Living, I take that question apart one word at a time: What. You. Want. Now.

We’ll talk about getting specific about what you want, separating your own desires from what other people think you should want, and paying attention to the longings and discontents that may be pointing you toward something new.

And most importantly, we’ll talk about why you don’t need to figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life. You only need to start asking: What would I love now?

Interested in working with me this fall?

I’m putting together a small 12-week coaching group for empty-nester parents who are ready to start creating what they want next.

You’ll choose one part of your life you’d love to change, get clear about what you really want, and begin creating it.

Join the waitlist and you’ll be the first to know when enrollment opens.

JOIN THE PROGRAM WAITLIST

No commitment. Just first dibs.

And after you listen, give yourself ten minutes with a piece of paper and this question:

What would I love?

Don’t worry about whether it’s practical. Don’t figure out how you’ll make it happen. For now, just notice what comes up.

New episodes of Encore Living drop every Tuesday and Friday. Subscribe so you don’t miss the next one.

You can find me here:

Dr. Thor on Instagram @thorchallgren

Website: https://thorchallgren.com

For years, your life has been organized around your kids: the school calendar, activities, family schedules, even when you take vacations.

But now your kid is away at college. The circumstances have changed.

So why are you still following the same rules?

In this episode, I explore the “unwritten rules” we accumulate over the years, the choices and routines we follow so automatically that we may not even realize we're choosing them anymore.

Your empty nest has disrupted your life. And instead of rushing to get back to normal or immediately figuring out your next big chapter, what if you used that disruption as an opportunity to look at your life with fresh eyes?

I'll share a simple experiment you can try this week to uncover some of your own unwritten rules and begin deciding, consciously, which ones you still want to keep.

You don't have to reinvent your life.

Maybe you just need to question one rule.

You can find me here:

Dr. Thor on Instagram @thorchallgren

Website: https://thorchallgren.com

We celebrate our kids when they graduate, get into college, and head off into the world. But there’s another milestone that deserves some recognition too: you just finished raising an actual human being.

In this episode, I’m talking about why the beginning of the empty nest deserves to be celebrated, not just survived. I share one of my own proudest moments as a parent, why it’s important to “ritualize the transition,” and how looking back at your wins can help you mark the end of one chapter before rushing to figure out the next.

And I have a suggestion for something you can do this week to celebrate yourself.

After all, your kid isn’t the only one starting a new chapter.

Happy New Year, empty nester.

You can find me here:

Dr. Thor on Instagram @thorchallgren

Website: https://thorchallgren.com