Retirement Without A Plan = Life Without Goals
No doubt you’ve heard a lot of talk over the last several weeks about setting New Year’s resolutions for 2015. We all know that New Year’s resolutions usually fall by the wayside before the end of January. Although I am not one for setting New Year’s resolutions, I do like to set goals each year that can be adjusted throughout the year depending on circumstances.
So what’s the difference between resolutions and goals? Webster’s dictionary says that resolutions are the act of finding an answer or solution to a conflict or problem, i.e. “I resolve to quit smoking.” A goal, on the other hand, is something that you are trying to do or achieve. I am not a wordsmith, but I see other distinctions between resolutions and goals. Resolutions to me are seldom more than wishes or desires, promises you make to yourself and things you can easily change your mind about.
Goals are more action-oriented. You can’t have a real goal unless you develop “mile markers” so you can keep your goal within sight. If someone truly wants to stop smoking, they might carry gum to substitute for a cigarette. They might also avoid places where other people are smoking or substitute another activity at times of greater stress or temptation. They take actual steps in support of their goal.
Another distinction I see between goals and resolutions is that goals are written down with specific steps you need to take to achieve your goal. As I’ve said many times over the years, if you don’t write it down, you don’t have a plan. You have to put on paper the actual steps you intend to take to achieve your goal. Goals are intentional. Remember that the goal is your destination. The journey is all about the things you need to do to get to your destination. It’s not unusual for the journey to become just as instructive as the goal in itself.
The “WHY” Of Setting Goals
Before you even set a goal, you should know why it is important to you. Unless your goal will bring purpose to your life, it won’t infuse your life with much meaning.
One of my goals for 2015 is to continue the process of tapping into my creative energy. One of the ways to accomplish this is through music. Ten years ago I began taking piano lessons for the first time in my life. I really enjoyed learning how to play because I had a wonderful teacher and I enjoyed the music. When my dad came to lives with us and my music teacher moved to the West Coast, I stopped taking lessons and, soon after, stopped playing. For six years I was busy with work and my dad’s care. Since losing my dad last February, time and space have finally opened up for me to begin taking lessons again.
Why pursue this goal when I don’t expect anyone but me to ever hear it? The simple answer is I love music; I love to learn and I enjoy being intellectually challenged. I also want to be more creatively expressive as I move into my retirement. My piano has been calling to me for a long time now and I haven’t listened well. My goal is to learn how to play again so I can tap into my creativity. I don’t need to be in any recitals or to perform for anyone. My goal is to learn to play again for my own pleasure and enjoyment.
What I’m doing in this newsletter is another important aspect of goal setting. By simply making my goal public and putting it in this newsletter, I’m taking an important step forward in committing to and accomplishing my goal. It makes me accountable to YOU to follow through on my goal.
Are You Ready?
How about you? Are you ready to set some goals for your retirement planning journey? Barbara Fredrickson PhD wrote in her book Positivity that you either languish or flourish depending on how you move your life forward. Your positivity quotient has a lot to do with it. I believe that with a positive attitude and realistic goals and expectations, you can have a successful life after work.
What are your 2015 retirement goals? Will you finally spend some concentrated time identifying where you want to live in your retirement if you move? Will you explore other career opportunities if you want to work in your retirement? Is there a relationship that will be affected by your retirement that you need to work on now in preparation for your transition? You have to take specific action or your goal will become another unrealized dream.
Henry David Thoreau said “what you get by achieving your goals is not as important as who you become by achieving your goals.”
Your Plan Of Action
Set some goals for yourself in 2015 and then come up with a good plan to accomplish those goals. If you’re not sure about what goals you would like to work on, I’d like you to consider goals that will give meaning to your retirement.
A model that I think works well for many of us is setting goals based on the six life arenas model. The Six Life Arenas that affect every one of us are:
- Career/work
- Health and wellness
- Finances
- Family relationships/friendships
- Leisure and social
- Personal/spiritual development
Be SMART
Another model to help you get started is the SMART model. Many of you are familiar with this model for goal setting—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive. Although this is a very effective model, Miller and Frisch have added some extra components to this model to help us set goals for all life stages, especially in planning our retirement. Here are some additional characteristics for goal setting. Goals should be:
- Challenging—making you stretch and grow
- Exciting and magnetic—they should draw you to what you feel passionate about
- Value-driven—reflecting what’s important to you
- Creating feelings of independence, connectedness, and competence
- Intrinsic and purposeful—motivating from within and giving life meaning
- Written down—putting it in black and white and keeping it visible
- Reflecting commitment and accountability—committing to yourself and others
Goals help us stay engaged in life and connected with others. Discover what you feel drawn to, go with that flow, and flourish in this important life stage.
So go ahead and set some goals within each life arena and in that process make the best of your life for the rest of your life!
Dee
Dee Cascio
Author, speaker, Licensed Psychotherapist, Certified Life Coach, Retirement Lifestyle/ReCareer Coach, and Life and Work Transitions Strategies Coach.
The Life and Work Transitions Community
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