Something BIG, a Bold Imaginative Goal, can add meaning to your retirement and lead to an amazing life. (See my last blog.)
How can you make a BIG project actually happen? Consider three examples: launching a business, learning a foreign language, or developing a great relationship with grandchildren.
Launch a business. You may have always wanted to do this. But you might tell yourself messages about why it can’t or won’t happen. You might not be sure what kind of business to launch, you did not go to business school, and you’ve never done this before. But you are still interested.
Making this BIG idea happen could mean figuring out
- what business idea gets you excited,
- what societal or marketplace problem your idea will solve,
- what resources you will need,
- whom to get help from and work with, and
- how to pitch the idea.
Notice that the key questions are not if you can do this, but how you will do this. All involve extensive brainstorming with other people.
Learn a foreign language. This might seem to be an enormous challenge as you age, because you notice that you even have trouble remembering words in English. This project can have several scopes. You can take a language class in person or on the computer, or you can find a language immersion program. You can join a language club where you have frequent opportunities to use it. You can plan an extended stay with lots of touring in a foreign country, maybe even take a class there in that language.
Develop a great relationship with your grandchildren. Your BIG idea could be to develop a special relationship with your grandchildren. You might spend extensive time with grandchildren on a regular basis, when they are young and their parents are at work. When they are older you can take them traveling to anywhere they want to go. Or you can encourage them to follow their own dreams by spending money to send them to camp or pay for special lessons of their choice. Or you could introduce them to people who are farther along pursuing interests similar to their own and could become your grandchildren’s mentors.
Doing something amazing in retirement may push you out of your comfort zone. Here are some ideas that may accelerate your success.
- Look for concrete examples of people who have had success. They can be role models for you to follow.
- Think about a variety of ideas before picking one to try. Read, brainstorm with others, and Google. Courage and commitment are necessary. Nothing good comes without them.
Anything you do that is BIG will be outside your comfort zone. How far you want to go outside the comfort zone is up to you. If not enough to stretch you, it may not give you much satisfaction. If too far, you could get discouraged and give up. So here are two other ideas for making it work.
- Break your project down into small steps. Success in finishing those steps will give you a sense of accomplishment and the courage to proceed.
- Having a positive attitude will be critical. Especially for a big project, you will most likely get discouraged at times. Focus as much on your progress as on the goal itself. This is the “glass-is-half-full” approach.
Let me know your progress on your own BIG retirement projects. With your permission, I’ll share your stories so you can inspire others!