From Reflection to Action: Your Retirement Review
Reviews, I think we all do them.
Some formally, others just in a moment of reflection. What if we treated our move towards retirement as a review? We have all come up with New Year's resolutions, other goals, and other aspirations. Essentially, we were reflecting on where we were, what we had or had not done, and what we wanted to improve.
What if we formally reviewed or reflected on our lives at retirement?
Why not? We have completed a phase of our lives, and I'm sure there are things we are so proud of and content with, and many that we want to experience, improve upon, or have regrets about. Well, let's spend some time and reflect on those.
This reflection will be valuable. I'm certain your full ambition for the next phase of your life isn't to sit around and watch TV. Also, I think we don't just want to be someone who travels for travel's sake. Dig deep.
Here are some categories to consider:
Relationships - how are my relationships doing now? Are they where I want them to be with my family? Were all my friends work-friends, and now I must supplement with a new set of friends? What will that look like
Value / Contribution - what do I value in my life? What gives me meaning or purpose? I'm not sure what that is. Daniel Pink had a great suggestion: Email 5 people you know and ask them:
What do you think I'm good at?
How do you think I'll leave my mark on the world?
You will be surprised and happy with what you hear back.
Physical —how am I physically? I now have more time, so what can I specifically do? Hey, I SHOULD work out—commit to doing something.
Experiences - what kind of experiences do I want to have? How can I prioritize experiences over things? Create a simple chart with 5-year increments and write down what you want to do in those 5 years. Please keep it out and keep it in your constant view.
Spiritual - how do you want to be spiritually? This will be enlightening.
Treating your retirement as a great opportunity to review and plan is fantastic.
This is not the end of your life, just a new phase. Grab it and go.