What does a day in your life look like on a typical weekday? What does it look like during the holiday season? If you are retired, how does your use of time compare to your pre-retirement years?
I want you to imagine a circle. And not just a plain boring circle either because, after all, it’s the holiday season. Think of a fragrant evergreen wreath or an orange studded with cloves, a shiny round ornament or a foil-wrapped chocolate coin, a chilly snowball, or a scrumptious apple or pumpkin pie.
Get ready to score your imaginary pie with a pie cutter or tie imaginary ribbon around one of the other winter-wonderland items. Divide your chosen object to represent the amount of time you spend on
• Career and work
• Exercise, health, and wellness
• Finances and money management
• Leisure activities
• Relationships with family and friends
• Personal development
Is there an area where you wish you had a bigger piece of the pie? Is one piece disproportionately large?
If a day in your life is not as balanced as you desire it to be during the holiday season, are there immediate changes you can make? For instance, can you
• Adopt a more relaxed work schedule
• Commit to a daily walk and listen to personal development podcasts as you go
• Explore financial planning tools and talks offered by your employer or your financial institution
• Choose fewer solo leisure activities and include more of the people who are important to you in your leisure pursuits
As seasons changes, a day in your life may also change. What can you borrow from experiences in one season of your life to strengthen areas where you are currently spending little or no time? Know that it is important to identify and choose your values before they affect your decisions. You also need to be purposeful in setting better goals for every stage of life. The holiday season may be the perfect time to explore the do good, feel good effect of volunteering.
Let me help you explore these retirement lifestyle areas and find ways that uniquely enable you to live your best life, day by day.