An Accomplished Retirement

When you think about the past 10 years, how do you feel about what you were able to accomplish in your life?

When you think about the past 10 years, how much were you able to accomplish in your life versus the amount you set out to accomplish?

When you think about the past 10 years, what was the one opportunity that life presented you that you didn’t take advantage of but now wish you had?

When you think about the past 5 years, how do you feel about what you were able to accomplish in your life?

When you think about the past 5 years, how much were you able to accomplish in your life versus the amount you set out to accomplish?

When you think about the past 5 years, what was the one opportunity that life presented you that you didn’t take advantage of but now wish you had?

When you think about the past year, how do you feel about what you were able to accomplish in your life?

When you think about the past year, how much were you able to accomplish in your life versus the amount you set out to accomplish?

When you think about the past year, what was the one opportunity that life presented you that you didn’t take advantage of but now wish you had?

I’d venture to say that if you asked 100 of your closest friends the first question in each set, the vast majority would answer “Gee, I don’t know.  I haven’t really thought about it.”

If you asked your friends the second question, they would probably answer that they sometimes make New Year’s resolutions but they never really keep track of what they are trying to accomplish in life.

And if you asked the third question, your friends would likely say they regret not having done a few things in their life but I am not so sure they would see these things as lost opportunities.

But what about you?  How would you answer each question?

And how do you want to be able to answer each question in the future?

If you and I were to meet for coffee on the 10^th anniversary of the day you retired, what do you want your answers to these questions to sound like?

Do you want to answer the questions the same way you answered them today?

Or do you want to be able to tell me:

That you just experienced the best year of your life.

That you accomplished all the things that were important to you and that you loved to do.

That you knew exactly what you wanted to do during that particular time period and that you created a plan to accomplish these things.

That you lived your life fully and dared to be unique and adventurous.

Most people drift through their working years with little direction. They dream about living the good life and they operate with the best of intentions but are easily distracted by the events of the day.  Then one day they retire but nothing really changes in terms of how they approach life.

But you have the opportunity to experience a different kind of life in retirement. 

You have the opportunity to design the kind of retirement you truly want by taking the time to think about what you want to accomplish over the next year of your life, over the next 5 years of your life, and over the next 10 years of your life.   

Rather than drifting through retirement, you have the opportunity to consciously think your way through it so that you are aware of what life is offering you. 

By using your ability to think and your imagination, you can create a retirement experience that is unique, enjoyable, adventurous, meaningful, and true to your heart.

And with this kind of retirement, answering the above questions will be a breeze.