Aim High for Your Retirement Transition

When I present my Retirement Transition workshops, I always close with a few quotes. The one that really grabs me, as well as the audience, is by Michelangelo, “The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it’s too low and we reach it.” Michelangelo is the perfect reminder for baby boomers, or anyone, to take a second look at life and ask, “What’s next for me?”

Michelangelo was 71 when he became the chief architect for St. Peter’s Basilica. At 81 he was still working every day. Louise Hay, famous publisher and speaker, began her publishing company in her early 50’s. Last year at 81, Louise released her first film.

And then there are the Beach Boys. Every year my husband and I go with friends to see them perform. It always takes us back and makes us smile! When Mike Love, who is now 69 years old, was asked when he and the Beach Boys would retire, he responded, “Retire? Retire from what?”

How you view retirement, what your mindset is, will make a tremendous difference in how you’ll live your life. Retirement is a major transition. And although people tend to resist change, even when it’s positive, this is a great time of life to do those things you put off when you were younger.

I view retirement as an opportunity and not an end. That we are retiring to something as opposed to from something. No longer are we living a traditional retirement like that of our parents or grandparents. Today we are living 30-40 years in retirement, a lifetime from generations ago.

Baby boomers are looking for a life purpose and a deeper meaning, whether in the form of a second career, volunteer work, leisure activities or helping out with grandkids. They are interested in more than just the money. Boomers want to live a more satisfying and fulfilling lifestyle. And why not? We’ve gone from school to work to raising families, paying mortgages, bills, and other responsibilities. Isn’t it time we put more of our personal hopes and dreams back into lives...things that may have been pushed to the side because of our responsibilities. Not that there’s anything wrong with being responsible…but now’s the time to shift the focus back to ourselves!

The average boomer wants periods of work mixed with periods of leisure. Boomers want to work “when they want to work and with whom they want to work”. They feel the same way about their leisure activities. Today’s boomer is the most tech savvy, educated group in our country’s history! In fact, even with the shaky economic situation today, boomers are spending more money on leisure goods.

So what type of retirement do you want? Today there are many choices, options and possibilities. For some, it can even be a little overwhelming. In that case, take baby steps…that will keep you moving forward and toward your dreams.

An important tip is to make sure you are coming from a positive mindset. Your Self Talk (your inner dialogue or thoughts) is very important here. It is the determining factor for how you live your life. We all base our lives on our thoughts. Our decisions and judgments are based on our thoughts. Therefore, our thoughts will greatly influence the relationships we’re in and the careers we choose. Therefore, if you are looking into a second career, volunteering, or deepening your relationships and making new ones, you want your Self Talk to be positive.

And when you’re thinking about what legacy or imprint you want to make, aim high!

Change and transition

Change and transition are constants in our life. We all naturally resist change. For most of us the unknown causes stress and anxiety.

Some tips to help ease life’s transitions:

Be Aware
Sounds simple…it can be! Most of us walk around and go through each day on automatic. The truth is that most of us are not aware of our thoughts and where we feel things in our bodies. Awareness can make a positive difference in how we handle situations, personally and professionally.

Before we can make any change, we have to be aware of ourselves (our thoughts) and our bodies…where in your body do you feel things when you’re stressed? Does your chest constrict? Do you feel like you got kicked in the stomach? Do the thoughts in your head feel like they’re swirling around? What about when you’re happy? Where do you feel that?

Everybody feels things in different places…the important thing is to start to familiarize yourself with how you react to things. Use what you feel in your body as a signal to yourself so that you can handle all situations in a constructive way. For instance, when I am about to enter into a stressful situation, I often feel queasy in my stomach. The moment I become aware of this, I notice the feeling and use positive self talk and a simple breathing exercise to calm myself down. And most importantly it works!!

Be Present
If we look too much to the past, we can get stuck; if we look too much into the future and anticipate too much, stress and anxiety can creep in. Stay present and be in the moment as much as possible. The minute you are aware that your thoughts are too much in the past or future, shift to the present and really live in that moment. This way life won’t pass you by. Don’t be a spectator of your life.

To learn more, read Eckhart Tolle’s book, “The Power of Now”. Check out my book suggestion list.

Gather Information
Whatever the subject is, the more information we have, the more knowledge we have. Knowledge is powerful and reduces the stress of the unknown.

Take Action – Do you feel stuck? Does it feel like your feet are in cement and you can’t move forward. Sometimes you’re not sure what the next step is, and sometimes you know, and still feel stuck. Start with a baby step. When I coach clients, I tell them I’d rather have them take baby steps and have a steady incline than a big leap where you can end up going into the wall and end up stuck again. Keep moving forward!

Positive, Self Affirming Thoughts – I’m a firm believer that we think is what happens in life. So make sure your thoughts are positive, self affirming thoughts. If we easily believe that of our negative thoughts (if we think something “bad” will happen, it will, a self fulfilling prophecy. The same is true of positive thoughts. Then why not think with positive thoughts. Make sure you’re filling yourself with the positive, not the negative. It’s your Choice!!