So imagine it’s your eightieth birthday. This is not something we are called upon to do very often so work with me here. First of all congratulations are in order. After you have blown out the candles and patted yourself on the back, if you can still reach, I want you to take some time to contemplate the last twenty years (your early retirement years), or as Michael Stein, author of The Prosperous Retirement, terms it the “Go-Go Years”.
So what would it take to make you proud, to put a smile on your face? Think of all the things that you accomplished from ages twenty five to forty five? With hopefully a bit more wisdom and assuming continued good health the years from sixty to eighty can be every bit as productive. What are your plans that will contribute to a life well lived?
I find it a very productive exercise to have clients imagine that these years have already been completed. It provides a different and often eye opening perspective on what would make them happy, sad, proud, dissatisfied, content, with an imagined look through the rear view mirror.
Did you enter any other major phase of your life without a plan? Why stop now?
As President of Your Future Reimagined (YFR) Coaching and Consulting, I help professionals/executives successfully transition to enjoyable and enriching retirements. mkennedy@yourfuturereimagined.com