Retirement: Create a Vision for Your Retired Life Today

You've retired, Now what?

You've probably heard that you can only get where you want to be if you know where you're going. This is as true now as the first time it was said.

In retirement, we are often left dazed and confused. You planned financially, walked out that retirement door and BAM! Suddenly, you are at home, alone. Nobody to chat with every day. Nothing that must be done daily. Co-workers stop calling as the workplace is no longer your common topic. You don't eat the same, heck, you don't even sleep the same!

So how do you know where you're going? You probably don't. You are stuck. You are living on old programming and need a reboot!

Even in retirement, goals are crucial. Seriously?  Yeah, they are!

When we set goals, what we're really trying to do is to bring each piece of our lives in line with our overall retirement vision for ourselves. Using a powerful vision-setting process can help you set more effective goals since you can chart a course that will take you toward and support your vision.

Do you have a vision for each segment of your life?

Do you know where you're headed spiritually, socially, relationally, mentally, physically, financially, and more?

Use this process to help you create a vision that works for you:

1. Write down your vision for a particular aspect of your life. Write a couple of paragraphs describing what you'd like to have or be. There's no right or wrong. In fact, you probably won't precisely articulate your dreams the very first time you try the exercise. A reasonable guess is a good place to start.

• In writing your vision, avoid focusing on what you don’t want, because this will only bring about more of that. Turn your back on negativity and focus on what you do want to bring about.
• For example, if you want more money: Avoid wording your statement like: “I don’t want to be poor anymore.” Instead, envision what it would be like to be living in a state with no cash flow problems, which is what you want, and write about what that would be like for you.
• Although you may feel challenged when first learning to focus on what you want, it gets easier. Plus, the rewards are great when you can do it consistently.

1. Visualize. Read your vision statement 2-3 times a day and imagine that aspect of your life matches your vision perfectly. How does your vision make you feel? Are you really excited and enthusiastic? Is it appealing to you on all levels? This shouldn't take more than 60 seconds to do each time. If you can read it out loud, do it and with enthusiasm. Convince your subconscious mind that this really is important to you.

You've heard that athletes visualize a play before they do it. Well, this is your turn to visualize, only you will use different parts of retired life to consider how they should be. This works,

1. Refine. If you feel really good about your vision, that's great. If not, now is the time to make some alterations. Continue refining the image of your dream life until doing your visualization feels right. Re-write each new version.

• At this point, you may be wondering when this process ever ends. Fortunately, it never ends. Your vision will forever be changing slightly throughout your life, which is good, since your desires and lifestyle will also change over time.

1. Review your vision daily and ensure that it continues to attract you. This will rapidly usher change into your life. In turn, these changes will demonstrate that you're actually moving towards that vision.
2. Create separate vision statements for all the areas of your life. Consider your finances, relationships, adventure, health, social life, and spirituality. If you can get all these visions to look just the way you want, imagine what your life will look like!

Why Spend Time On This Process?

Creating a vision is the first step to creating the retired life you desire. Tweak your visions when you must and really focus on the experience of living that vision. This gets easier all the time, because imagining something enjoyable is pleasurable in itself.

Don't hesitate; create your visions today. Then, start reviewing and improving them immediately. Your life will change rapidly for the better. You'll then be spending your time making your own visions a reality instead of making someone else's dream come true.

When you reach a goal, you immediately need a new one… even if the goal is simply the next thing to knit or the next vacation place.

Try Kylego! (a new option)

I recently began following Kyle Cease, a comedian turned transformational guru who encourages people to "kylego" (ki-leg-go). You talk or write about the future, explaining what happened a month, six months, or a year from now. Oddly enough, it's incredibly powerful. You are free to embellish how life worked out and it's really fun. Here is a quick example.

Retirement Kylego for someone who retired yesterday: I remember a year ago when I retired. It was a great experience and I loved every moment of my newfound freedom. In the past year, I've traveled the nation, visiting several different states and family members. I've downsized my home, decluttering so that I welcome life adventures and not more stuff. I volunteer with a few local organizations, all of which welcome me when I appear as they need the help and I love the connections I've made. I continue to help my elderly neighbors when I can. My new retired life is not sad and sheltered, but so inclusive of new opportunity and adventure. People simply do not view me as aging as I have a great mindset! Woot!

The more you do Kylego like this, the more it transitions you into a retired life you might actually live out. Followers have reported great results… I believe them as visualization works!