Retirement is another opportunity to have an amazing life. What will make this stage of life amazing for you?
What do you most want to do and accomplish over the rest of your life? What do you regret never having had a chance to do before?
Stephen Covey, in his book First Things First, tells a story about a bucket. An instructor fills a bucket with big rocks. He asks his students if the bucket is full. Then he proceeds to add first small stones into the bucket, then sand, and finally water. When he asks the students about their interpretation of the exercise, they conclude that there is always room for more. But no, the instructor says, not unless you put the big rocks in first!
What are your big rocks?
Nowadays, in the 21st century, your retirement could be as long as your working years. You may well have the time, money, and energy to accomplish many amazing things.
Even so, a lifetime is finite—like the space inside the bucket is finite.
When you have a full-time job, your job is one of your biggest rocks. When you take that rock out of your bucket, there is a big hole to fill. You can fill it with the equivalent of small stones, sand and water – or you can find something else BIG, another big rock.
BIG is an acronym for Bold Imaginative Goal. Here are some examples:
- Launching a business
- Learning a foreign language
- Learning to play a musical instrument
- Developing a special relationship with grandchildren
- Changing the world
Here are some examples of people whom I have met who did just that.
- Jerry was a very successful professional in a specialized field. On the side while working he would write stories about his youth and get some of the published. When he was in his 70’s, he decided that he had had enough of his regular work and retired. So in his 80’s he compiled his stories into a book and published it. Then he did it again. Then he wanted to write about his professional career. He did that too.
- Joel loved working with children as a Social Worker. Then he went to law school and worked for Legal Aid. He got a job in a “real” law firm and again was very successful. Now retired and in his 60’s he wanted to work but not at a job. So now he volunteers at Legal Aid, at a school for problem kids and at another nonprofit.
- Jan was always an activist and worked for a while in local government. A life-long learner, at age 60, she went back to school to get a PhD. Now in her late 80’s she continues in her work as an activist, with a focus on improving opportunities for older people. She has founded several grass-roots organizations active here and in other countries .
- Bill is a tennis player, retired from a professional career, who continues to play tennis and beat others a generation younger.
- John is a Delta pilot who was forced to retire at age 65. He still had his energy and great health and wanted to continue flying. So he is now a pilot with a smaller company.
- Channah is a widow in her 90’s who has trouble getting around but has all of her wits. She lives in a Senior Facility, goes to every cultural event available there, and takes an Uber when she needs to go to others off campus.
- Harvey is a retired principal in his 80’s who is on the Boards of many nonprofits. He and his wife Sharon Ann pull their large extended family together multiple times each year for awesome gatherings.
Writing my book Serious About Retiring (coming May 1!) has been a BIG rock for me. And I plan to do a lot around the book—speaking, holding workshops, counseling individuals—so this will be my rock for a long time. Also, I continue to progress slowly in learning the cello, which I started at age 73 (see my blog on this.) I have some ideas for long bicycle trips too. We’ll see.
I would love to hear about your BIG rocks. Tell me about what you are doing or will do so your retirement will be amazing.