Q: I am a 67-year-old lawyer. I developed a specialized law firm and as founding member, I have a deal for retirement that I can exercise at any time. What is out there for someone like myself who does not want to practice law anymore, but has proven I can develop and run a business, and who is still active and addicted to meaningful work? – Bill

Kate: What’s out there? Everything. Where I suggest you start is with The Seven Stories Exercise, originated by Bernard Haldane (when he worked for the federal government and was assigned to figure out how to best use executives entering the armed forces). You start by compiling a list of your accomplishments, from childhood on. Shoot for 25, then rank them according to enjoyment/satisfaction. Write about the top seven in more detail, looking for patterns. One law-firm partner who did the exercise decided that he wanted a career in the field about which he was most passionate: wine. He became senior legal counsel in a winery. That was an easy one.

Dale: A tougher one was among the first case studies I ever wrote. It was the story of a lawyer who decided he wanted to be a magazine publisher. He didn’t have the money to finance a magazine, so he took a two-step approach, landing a job as a salesman for one of the big magazines where he learned the industry, then started a series of magazines of his own. (As often happens, lack of money was, in the end, an advantage – he learned what advertisers wanted before he started indulging in his version of what “ought to sell ad space.”)

Kate: Speaking of learning, resist the temptation to rush ahead “before you get too old.” With your energy, you could have another 20 years to invest in something. So if it takes a year to figure things out, that’s OK – you still have 19 more.

Q: I’m interested in leaving my job and moving across state. My husband has been with his employer for more than 20 years and can retire this year, but he likes his work and wants to keep working (he’s an HVAC installer). My husband says that no one will hire him at age 65. What do you think? – Veronica

Dale: You’re looking for a fresh start while your husband is content where he is. I doubt you can argue him into wanting to move – he might eventually agree just to shut you up, but his heart won’t be in it, and every difficulty will be, to him, your fault.

So your task is not just getting us to tell him he’s wrong about getting hired; your task is to invite him to enter into your picture of a better life. This means vacationing in the new area, meeting people, turning your idea into a mutual dream. And speaking of turning, here I am, turning into Dr. Phil, and it’s making me nervous.

Kate: Still, it’s good advice. Perhaps you two could agree that you won’t move until he finds a job better than his current one. To do so, he’ll need a list of HVAC companies in the new area.

He’d contact them all, with a letter and a phone call, then plan a trip where he’ll visit some of the firms. He should not expect job offers at that point, because they probably won’t have openings at that moment. His question will be, “If you did have a need for an HVAC installer, would you consider someone like me?” If they say yes, then he’ll ask if he can keep in touch, contacting them once a month or so. They’ll admire him for it, and the next time they have an opening, they will NOT post it – they’ll call him. And after one of those calls, he’ll be motivated to say yes.