It is more than believable to me that I am approaching my second
anniversary of retirement not because it has been long or dull but because I
have in fact been thinking over the two very different years I have
experienced. The first year was filled
with projects, new revelations and travels while the second year was spent in a
quieter way that for some time had me feeling concerned. But by January I had found my bearings and
plowed ahead on a more thoughtful and goal oriented path, thanks in great part
to John Maxwell’s book on jumpstarting my thinking.
It may seem very peculiar for people contemplating retirement to
hear me speak of goals. After all, aren’t
we done with all that sort of thing once we quit working? Aren’t we supposed to just have fun? The answers are no to the first question and yes,
of course, to the second. The reason I
say no to the first question is that in order to feel fulfilled after working
one should really have some goals even if it is simply based around having
fun. The danger of not setting any goals
is that one will simply do a few rounds of this and that and gradually sink
into the coach in front of the television or computer and vegetate. That is neither fun nor geared towards having
a satisfying retirement.
Do you need a satisfying retirement?
Well, yes, I think so because what is the point of even being alive if
you aren’t satisfied with life? At a
minimum it behooves one to look at the six pieces of the retirement pie
(Physical, Mental, Spiritual, Social, Financial and Activity) and set minimal
goals which should be assessed annually (although semi-annually is even
better). If you loath physical activity
the first goal you can set yourself is “getting out of bed”, tick. If you can’t stand to read a book, set a goal
like “listen to 10 minutes of hard core news”, tick. Not spiritual? Set yourself to sit quiet for 5 minutes and
build up to 15 – just quiet time (no noise, no self talk, just space),
tick. Social, if you hate people, get a
dog, tick. Financial, I won’t even go
there. Activity, if you can’t find an activity
give yourself a mental reminder that you are most likely comatose.
Sarcasm aside, if you are reading this blog the chances are that you
have some interest in having a meaningful retirement (or at the very least have
a good sense of humour). As I have said
many times before we are blessed to be living in a time when we have the
opportunity to retire at an age where we still have many years of post-work to
evolve into who we were meant to be.
There are many ways we can enjoy the 6 pieces of pie free of charge and
we should grab at these opportunities with gleeful hands.
I ask you, are you with me?
.Interesting and thought-provoking response, Susanne. Yesterday was my 33rd Work Anniversary at the University of Alberta, and I am starting to give retirement serious consideration. I have various concerns and fears, of course. I know I will miss the social interaction I have with my colleagues, students, and faculty, some of which are also good friends. That will grind to an immediate halt.
ReplyDeleteI also worry about what I will do immediately thereafter. Part of me thinks, why worry about that? Just sleep in, rest, relax, and try not to be too anxious about everything. Take a break before deciding what to do next. My goals, as it were, have always been minimal at best.
I don't have a date in mind just yet, but everything comes to an end, which includes my work life at the U of A. I'm a lifetime fence-sitter, always have had difficulties making decisions. But I also realize that retirement will close a huge door and then open another one.
More thinking must be done.