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When planning your retirement, it is a very good time to really start telling the truth. It’s not nearly as important to do that with your friends, neighbors or co-workers as it is to tell the truth to yourself. This is no time to be embellishing or fantasizing who you’d like to be on a core level. It’s a time to be really honest, brutally honest with yourself as to who you really are so that you can nurture and befriend yourself through the process of creating this next chapter of your life.
When my children were babies, I marveled at how quickly changes could happen. In the blink of an eye they could go from sitting to crawling or one day just getting up and walking. One day a diaper and then a potty. Sometimes, in a matter of days, there was a whole new person with a whole new skill set. It was a miraculous joy to behold. As the life cycle continues, there seems to be a whole lot of years “in the middle” where changes happen, but they’re small and not as emotionally charged. But then at about 50-ish changes start to happen more rapidly. And not necessarily the fun ones……..
Happiness Hinges on How You Address Change During the Planning Process
From what I’ve seen in my work with clients, (as well as experiencing myself) we all have very different perceptions and tolerances for change. Research has shown that those of us who embrace change and have demonstrated a marked talent in resiliency wind up being more satisfied in life and healthier both physically and emotionally. There are so many touching interviews with very elderly people who have seen so much change in their lives; loss of friends, family, health issues. What may seem to be incredible to many is that they still find joy in their days and maintain a positive, hopeful outlook. They have learned to embrace change and are resilient.
So, back to the truth…. YOUR truth. Here are some questions to consider: Are you someone who enjoys change? Do you like the unexpected? Do you bounce back quickly from disappointment or unanticipated occurrences? What have you done in the past to get through challenges? Do you tend to process things alone or do you benefit from sharing and listening to others? Are you a close-your-eyes and leap kind of person or are baby-steps what has helped you in the past? Is it more important to maintain what you have than re-creating something new?
As I said earlier, look at these questions but answer from your soul…..not what Oprah would want you to say. There are obvious changes that must be considered in retirement planning and it is a process. It might be a change in residence, change in geography, change in spending habits, a change in how you manage your day. But, how you plan for this and take care of the person you ARE, makes all the difference in how joyful or stressful the process will be. If you are someone who looks at this whole subject with trepidation and worry, working with a Retirement Coach can be a productive and empowering process.
The Support You Need to Successfully Tackle Life’s Transitions
My expertise is helping people transition through all the changes that life offers. As a Retirement Coach, my job is to help you successfully create a fulfilling, exciting new chapter. No matter where in the world you are or how busy your life is, the phone, Skype, FaceTime, and the internet make our meetings easy to manage. Let’s talk about how we can work together!