As you near or enter retirement, you need to get out of your comfort zone. As self-development author and motivational speaker Brian Tracy said, “It doesn’t matter where you are coming from. All that matters is where you are going.”
As a life coach and author, my job is to encourage people who are leaving their familiar work environment and entering a new chapter of life to try new and different things. However, as I find myself supporting others, I’m aware that I’m not immune to getting stuck in my own comfort zone in my personal life. Lately I’ve noticed a discrepancy between trying new and different activities in my professional life but not in my personal life.
In my professional life, I’ve been learning a lot of new skills and stretching into places that I didn’t anticipate, all by choice. In the last 15 years, I have added Life and Work Transitions, coaching, and speaking to my therapy practice. I’ve also written a monthly newsletter and authored two books, something I never thought I’d do. I joined Rotary International to volunteer and do community service. I was president of the Family Council at Arden Courts Assisted-Living for Alzheimer’s where my dad was a resident before his death. To further my professional career, I also joined Toastmasters and the National Speakers Association where I had the opportunity to learn and practice speaking skills. All those experiences served to enhance my professional career.
Perhaps because I have made so many changes in my professional life, I have not focused enough energy on my personal life. From my extensive training, I know it’s important to spend as much energy on your personal life as you do on your career. If you don’t, life can quickly get out of balance. You do need to be aware of how well you cope with change as you consider ways to get out of your comfort zone. Take the “Are you ready to cope with change?” quiz to learn more about your readiness.
Opportunity Presents Itself
I have seized opportunities to get out my personal comfort zone. Recently, my husband and I had the opportunity to go to a DC United soccer game in Washington DC. Neither one of us had ever been to a professional soccer game so it was a different and interesting experience. To my surprise, we really enjoyed the game and made new acquaintances. As I left the stadium after the game, I mentioned to my husband how energized I was by the whole experience. We also attended a Tampa Bay Lightning hockey game this season, another first for us. Again, it was more interesting and exciting being physically there, even though we may not have known all of what was going on.
Opening The Conversation
These events opened a discussion between Tom and me regarding how we needed to stretch beyond our comfort zone and add some variety to our personal lives. Being open to doing things that are not normally in our routine shed a whole new light on the importance of variety in our everyday lives.
Don’t get me wrong. Routines are important in life and serve a purpose. They reduce the need for thinking about the many aspects of our complicated lives that are automatic, like going to and from work every day, cooking meals, going grocery shopping, doing laundry, making plans with friends, and getting the car serviced, to name a few. In addition to work, many of these day-to-day activities take so much time out of our busy days, there doesn’t seem to be enough time to have fun. However, it’s important to try new things. You may discover interests and skills that will carry you through your retirement years.