“What am I going to do with the rest of my life?”

That’s not a question asked or answered lightly.

Retirement is possibly the only life stage you plan and direct on your own. There are no clear expectations with ladders to climb and salary levels to achieve. There’s no one telling you how it ought to be; how it used to be; or how it’s going to be. The models you have are a scattered sampling of senior family members and former associates who didsomething in retirement. Did it work? Would it work for you?

“Where do I want retirement to take me?”

If you want retirement to “take you someplace”, you may be in for an unsettling trip. It won’t take you anywhere. It will leave you where you are.

You’re in charge of what happens next. Step back and examine your current situation. Where do you want to go? If you’re not sure, you may not be ready to retire. Here are some questions to get your thinking in gear:

What will end when you retire and are you prepared to let it go? Some examples:

Are you prepared to let go of a dependable income with benefits that you’ve grown accustomed to; a structured lifestyle of expectations and deadlines to meet; a community of colleagues who you know and know you, an identity that you can count on, that defines your purpose and perhaps your sense of self worth?

What will begin once you retire? Examples: Time. More time than you’ve had in years. Time to do whatever you choose at whatever time you choose to do it. Anonymity. Freedom. Sleep. Possibilities. Endless possibilities.

What do you need? A strategy that addresses the expanse of time that lies ahead. A plan that covers more than the six months it takes to complete the projects you want to do; a plan that is more than a filler between playing golf and sleeping, and fishing and sleeping, and sleeping and sleeping.

Everything is created twice. You conceptualize something before you do it.

That’s the Carpenter’s Rule: Measure twice. Cut once.  Now’s the time to plan for what can be the best time of your life by asking some big questions:

What do you care about most?

Who do you care about most?

How do you want to remember the life that you’ve lived?

How do you want to be remembered by those you care about most?

Once you’ve identified what’s really important, you’re open to pathways that enable you to respond to those questions.

This discussion might sound more altruistic than you can stand. You may have already dedicated your most productive years to taking care of others while working hard to just provide the basics. You may want to take some time for yourself. And you want to enjoy taking it, without guilt. You want to keep it simple because you’ve had enough complexity to last a lifetime. You can do that.

There are four dimensions to the human condition: emotional, physical, spiritual, and intellectual. Fulfilling any one of these areas can sustain and even increase your capacity to be creative and productive. The more you expand each dimension, the more capable you are of doing more and feeling better doing it.

Emotional fulfillment can come from keeping and maintaining positive relationships with family and friends; exploring and building new friendships; and getting involved in acts of service to the community.

Physical fulfillment can draw from an exercise, diet, and sleep regimen that promotes health and fitness while providing a positive release for stress.

Spiritual fulfillment can come from observation and appreciation of nature, involvement in the arts, observance of edifying religious practice.

Intellectual fulfillment can be derived from reading, travel, listening to music, independent or classroom study, writing.

Design your future. Take time in your creation. Measure twice. Then live fully.

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Yes! You may use this article by Executive and Career Coach, Joyce Richman, in your blog, article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.joycerichman.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started her own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.