Let’s continue, shall we? Last week, we covered the first part of the subtitle of my new book, “Find Meaning.” This week, I’d like to talk a little more about the second part, “Live with Purpose.”
Do you find yourself feeling a little bit lost when you start to think about life beyond your career? You’re not alone. Planning a fulfilling retirement is overwhelming for a lot of people, for a variety of reasons that go beyond the financial logistics of retiring.
One of the core elements of my book, Retirement Stepping Stones, is to encourage you to live with purpose. Once you’ve clarified your values, your next step is to start pursuing a purposeful, intentional life both now and in the future.
This can be a challenge!
The truth is that purposeful living is easier said than done. We all have had work weeks where we look up and it’s suddenly Friday evening, and we’re not sure where the last five days went. Although routine can feel secure, it can also pull us into a cycle of living on autopilot. Many times, this “autopilot setting” is what makes the transition to retirement so jarring.
You may have grown used to your comfortable routine of going to work, eating dinner with your spouse or partner, and seeing your family or friends on the weekends – only to have that cycle disrupted dramatically on the first Monday when you wake up and don’t have to go into the office.
This is where living with purpose can help. In my previous post, we talked about finding meaning in your life by clarifying your values. That practice lays the foundation for creating a purposeful life. Once your values are clear, you’re able to reverse engineer actions and habits that help you to live into those values regardless of whether you’re at work, at home, or fully retired.
Creating goals for yourself, and setting up routines that align with your life’s meaning encourages you to consistently show up as your best self. Throughout your career and the retirement transition, you’ll find that you’re more fulfilled because you’re living with intention. I’m excited that my book will help others to ditch a life that’s lived on autopilot, and instead pursue days that are full of purpose and meaning.
Thank you for joining me on this journey. Join me next week as we cover “Leave a Legacy”
