I was asked "what would you like to do?"
You want to make a difference in the world, be part of a force for good; use the networks and the insights you've been given to help build a better world. Sometimes that feels realistic; sometimes, the best it could be is to help reduce the levels of pain in the world.
As i move towards later life, the feeling changes from "wanting to do good work with good people" to "wanting to make space in which it's possible for others to do so, and by doing so, create space for myself".
I freelanced for several years before my son came along, and did my most impactful and interesting work during that time. I've taken on office-based, 9-5 work since then out of a felt need for the stability that comes with a predictable income. I've survived, rather than thrived, in those environments.
As a software developer I've been lucky, to have a craft skill highly valued in many markets. I've been able to sacrifice income for values and remain comfortable, mostly do work without commercial aims.
Now times are changing fast; hyperscale platforms, coding agents, the need for the craft skills is fading away (perhaps it'll come back around when i'm due to retire!). I started looking at a pivot to hardware, with support from a Software Sustainability Institute Fellowship; but it's never been a personal passion for me in the way that code and data have been.
I know a few people in different fields who live a portfolio life of multiple side gigs; prototyping, teaching, doing small sales of joy-giving things, growing communities around their work. I love watching this mode, and would very much like to join them!