Perhaps you’re like me. This time of year triggers introspection about what’s important in life – especially moving forward. I am passionate about how our generation has the chance to live our later years with even more life satisfaction and meaning than our parents did.
Given this is a “family” time of year, let me share. Both my parents are gone and I think about their lives and how they lived them. Their generation viewed the retirement years so differently, yet both my parents stayed active well into their mid-80s. They divorced in their 50s, sending them into dramatic transitions. Mom became a small-time philanthropist while dad remarried and continued to dabble in business ventures and traveled. Perhaps they were ahead of their time. Near the end of their lives it seemed they were satisfied and at peace with how it all turned out.
We have an advantage over our parents. We more easily see that the later years can be many things – encore careers, volunteering, new passions and even ways of being. It’s an irony that we spend so much time preparing for adulthood, yet so little time thinking about the possible 20 or 30 years after we finish up our main career. We are in the position now to think about and prepare for the future. I love John Lennon’s quote, “Life is What Happens To You While You’re Busy Making Other Plans.” At the same time, it’s through reflecting and acting upon what we think is important to us that we create the opportunities that shape our lives. Investing now in planning our own future – like we did when we were younger – creates opportunities that might otherwise not happen.
Check out my free 10 page Mid-Life Planner. It provides a helpful framework for exploring your encore. Forward this email to a friend who might benefit from such a resource.
Below are five big questions to help chart your way. They are a beginning to opening up the possibilities of what is possible. Perhaps share them with family members during this holiday season.
- If my life were “as good as it gets” what would it look like?
- How can I realize future aspirations and dreams?
- What holds me back from doing what I really want to do?
- How will I live my future life with fewer or even no regrets?
- How can I maximize my future happiness?
I welcome the opportunity to learn about your situation, and what you’re looking to accomplish as you move ahead. I enjoy sharing resources that help people find their way in life’s journey. Also, provide a gift of coaching for a spouse, or other loved one. Contact me to find out more.
