reimagining retirement — Blog

Mid-Year Refresh – A Well-being Check-in

Six months have passed since we rang in 2024 and a perfect time for a little mid-year reflection, the practice of intentionally reviewing your experiences, thoughts and feelings.

I often recommend the practice of reflection because it’s simple and easy – there’s no way to get it wrong. It’s also a wonderful way to enhance your self-awareness by using the insights from your learning and growth to navigate your future with more wisdom and ease.

The reason why reflection is so powerful at the beginning or midpoint of the calendar year is it helps you make meaning of your experiences by allowing time to absorb a deeper understanding of your needs and desires. Here’s how to approach it.

The Power of a Reverse Bucket List

In the wake of being with a loved one at the end of their life, it’s not unusual to take the proverbial bucket list approach to your own. A bucket list is an itemized inventory of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime. It focuses on what hasn’t yet been achieved and can be used to keep track of things we want to do when there’s more time or resources.

Of course, what can happen is that the perfect moment never arrives or a person can run out of vitality or time before getting to the items on the list. And even when items are methodically checked off, satisfaction can be brief, lasting until another item on the list becomes the focus. This is what gives bucket lists a quality of “I’ll be happy when…”

Enter the reverse bucket list, which can act like a roadmap for a life filled with lasting satisfaction and meaning.

The Regret of Paths Not Taken

I’ve been mulling over some research published by psychologist Tom Gilovich. A few years ago, he co-wrote a paper titled, “The Ideal Road Not Taken.” I was struck by his findings. Gilovich concluded that regret does not come from failing to satisfy obligations and responsibilities. Rather, remorse stems from unfulfilled hopes and aspirations.

Gilovich also notes there are three components that comprise a person’s sense of self. The actual self, which includes attributes you believe you possess; the ideal self, which includes attributes you’d like to possess along with your hopes and dreams; and the ought self, which includes your shoulds, such as your obligations and responsibilities.

And where do we usually focus our intentions and goals? On our ought self.

Approaching Life as a Discovery Draft

Recently, I experienced something unexpected. I was listening to a podcast as I did some work around the house and it hit me – it was time to think about writing my next book.

I grabbed my notebook and jotted down a few notes on the premise. I started doing some research on writing this type of book and within minutes, I found someone who might be able to support me during this project. Serendipitously, she was offering an introductory workshop. I worked with her for three months to create a book outline and project plan.

I learned two concepts during that experience that relate to why writers don’t finish their projects. But as I reflected, these ideas can be applied to wellness and navigating life transitions.

Unlock Your Next Chapter, Pt. IV - Creating a Post-Corporate Life

This is the final installment of a four-part series to Unlock Your Next Chapter, inspired by the biggest lesson learned since leaving corporate life behind, which is, the skills that make you successful in one chapter of your life are rarely the ones you rely on as you create the next one.

Part IV of the series concludes with an example of how to use the hero’s journey framework to visualize your life in a new way, with a focus on learning and growth. Reframing your life in this manner will help you declare your call to action and take that important first step.

Unlock Your Next Chapter, Pt. III - Your Hero's Journey

This is the third installment of a four-part series to Unlock Your Next Chapter, inspired by the biggest lesson learned since leaving corporate life behind, which is, the skills that make you successful in one chapter of your life are rarely the ones you rely on as you create the next one.

Part III of the series continues with an exploration of the hero’s journey, a common story format you can use to visualize your life in a new way, with a focus on learning and growth. Reframing your life in this manner will help you discover everyday life adventures and help you feel your way forward.

Unlock Your Next Chapter, Pt. II - Your Origin Story

This is the second installment of a four-part series to Unlock Your Next Chapter, inspired by the biggest lesson learned since leaving corporate life behind, which is, the skills that make you successful in one chapter of your life are rarely the ones you rely on as you create the next one.

Part II of the series includes an exploration of your origin story, looking for themes and working with questions to help you understand where you’ve been so you can set your sights on the hero’s journey of your choosing that lies ahead.

Unlock Your Next Chapter, Pt. I - The Gift of Discontent

This is the first installment of a four-part series to Unlock Your Next Chapter, inspired by the biggest lesson learned since leaving corporate life behind, which is, the skills that make you successful in one chapter of your life are rarely the ones you rely on as you create the next one.

Part I of the series includes an exploration of that vague yet unshakeable feeling of discontent that leads us to make life changes. You’re then invited to consider areas where you feel discontent, what might bring relief, and how to gather information to help you move forward.

Envisioning Your Future, Pt. IV – Future Self Emulation

This is the final installment of a four-part series on Envisioning Your Future as a means of reinventing yourself in your second chapter. An important component of reinvention is holding a clear vision of who you’re becoming and where you’d like to go. And an effective way to gain clarity is by defining, exploring and working toward your future self, a powerful tool for envisioning the version of yourself you’re striving to become.

Part IV of the series includes a number of ways to work with your future self vision, including how to emulate the future self you met during the visualization shared in the prior article.

Envisioning Your Future, Pt. III – Future Self Visualization

This is the third installment of a multi-part series on Envisioning Your Future as a means of reinventing yourself in your second chapter. An important component of reinvention is holding a clear vision of who you’re becoming and where you’d like to go. And an effective way to gain clarity is by defining, exploring and working toward your future self, a powerful tool for envisioning the version of yourself you’re striving to become.

Part III of the series includes a visualization adapted from an exercise developed by the Coaches Training Institute. Clients have found this exercise to be very insightful and invaluable in transcending limiting beliefs and familiar boundaries.

Envisioning Your Future, Pt. II – Inner Wisdom

This is the second installment of a multi-part series on Envisioning Your Future as a means of reinventing yourself in your second chapter. An important component of reinvention is holding a clear vision of who you’re becoming and where you’d like to go. And an effective way to gain clarity is by defining, exploring and working toward your future self, a powerful tool for envisioning the version of yourself you’re striving to become.

Part II of the series includes the importance of connecting with your inner wisdom, the place in your heart that holds your deepest desires as well as an exercise to help you practice what a true “yes” feels like for you – a useful tool for your inner journey.

Envisioning Your Future, Pt. I – Inner Vision

This is the first installment of a multi-part series on Envisioning Your Future as a means of reinventing yourself in your second chapter. An important component of reinvention is holding a clear vision of who you’re becoming and where you’d like to go. And an effective way to gain clarity is by defining, exploring and working toward your future self, a powerful tool for envisioning the version of yourself you’re striving to become.

Part I of the series includes an overview of what the future self is and how to work with it to create an inner vision of your next life chapter.

Retirement as Regeneration

The decision to leave a long-term career can be easier than deciding what's next. And in that void is where anxiety can emerge regarding what's waiting – or not waiting – on the other side of that choice.

Part of this is because we have an outdated view of what can follow a long-term career. More and more people are foregoing the traditional idea of retirement, one of pure recreation or leisure, and reframing it as a time of regeneration.

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