Posted on 12/24/2024 6:09:36 AM PST by MtnClimber
Years ago, while studying for my master’s degree in human behavior, I became deeply intrigued by the concept of personal goal setting and how important it is for people to have goals simply in order to stay healthy. What I learned changed my life.
Human beings are, by nature, goal seekers. We are the only living creatures who can look into the future and project images of ourselves. Within the context of every other living creature, even the simple act of scheduling a lunch meeting for next week or planning a family get-together is an amazingly complex and miraculous task.
But our teleological nature goes far beyond that. Just ask the doctor who “wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember.” Or anyone else whose childhood dream to pursue a specific career came true. What these examples show is that if you create visions of yourself cast into the future, you will naturally be drawn toward those visions, usually until they become true.
This is one of the reasons why one of the most important steps in goal setting is to create positive, present-tense affirmations of yourself having achieved each of your goals. Then, repeat these affirmations over and over until the goals become reality. The more vividly you can have your subconscious mind visualize you in your desired goal state, the more likely you will be to achieve that state (accomplish your goal) sooner rather than later.
Interestingly enough, not having clear goals can create problems for people when they retire. Far too often, when people stop working, they think that they’ve achieved their life’s purpose, so there’s “nothing left to do.” Thus, they are left basically directionless and without a sense of purpose for this chapter in their life.
The data tells us that individuals who lack purpose and direction tend to have worse health outcomes and die sooner than those who have a sense of purpose. Those without goals tend to wander aimlessly for a time and have less fulfilling life spans than people who continue to set goals for themselves.
It’s important to know that the goals we are talking about here are not simply work-related. They could be family-related, travel-related, recreational, spiritual, or even learning-related. The important thing is to have exciting milestones to look forward to in the future. For many people, this is their “bucket list.”
Setting goals and defining purpose isn’t hard work. But for some reason, it’s one of those activities that is difficult to get started with if you haven’t already made a habit of goal setting. However, once you set goals, the satisfaction is both immediate and long-term.
Early on during our 55-year marriage, my wife and I made goal setting an important part of our relationship. It has not only made our lives and relationship more fulfilling, but it has also led to us accomplishing much more with our lives than we would have otherwise. It has made our transition into retirement much smoother and more fulfilling. Defining goals and purpose can do the same for you.
It’s never too late to start. The most important thing is to outline an annual process and stick to it. We start each year by discussing possible goals for the next year during the week following Christmas, leading up to New Year’s. Instead of writing New Year’s resolutions, we write our list of goals for the upcoming year (and sometimes beyond). We set goals for our relationship, family, finances, home improvement, travel, learning, health, service to others, and just about anything else you can think of – even our spirituality.
Then, we print out the list of goals and post them where we will see it almost every day.
On or around the Fourth of July, we review them to assess our progress, make changes, and update whatever is necessary. At year’s end, that goal list becomes the starting point for next year’s goals when we restart the process the week after Christmas.
Research has repeatedly shown that goal setting may be even more important in retirement than earlier in life. If you don’t already do something to create and maintain a clear sense of purpose for this chapter in your life, now is the time to start. The dividends will be plentiful.
My goal is to ridicule the left in the new year.
My goal is to volunteer in church more when I fully retire, and teach my grandkids to trust in God instead of trusting in the cult of the political class.
“We are the only living creatures...”
At least he didn’t say “animals.”
The key is not goals so much as it is finding/having meaning. A meaningful life may or may not focus on achieving some stated goal, so much as living a certain way. This writer apparently is a box checker, which is fine, but may not be for everybody.
Great resolution. Will look forward to your successes in the coming year.
Your answer is far better than anything I read in the essay.
Slightly off topic, however after 40 years in the workforce I retired on 12/31/19......a few months later I decided to pick up a part time gig delivering floral arrangements.......after 2 days I quit.
I realized that during my career I had to be in a place at a certain time, eat and take breaks at a certain time and all the rest of the work regimen.
I found I liked my new found freedom and being able to do what I want and when.
I am particularly fond of grocery shopping or going to walmart on weekday mornings when very few people are there.
While retirement is probably in the top 3 biggest life changes a person will experience.....I for one am loving it. 🙂
Based on observation of others, what we do when retired must keep us both physically and mentally active in order to get the most longevity. My father and close neighbors lived into their late 80’s and early 90’s by being very physically active. You’ve got to be pain tolerant, that is let no pain put you into that recliner. Once in that recliner you’ve numbered your days.
Easy. If you were CEO of a company, you can use your talents to show your wife how to run the household efficiently. She will love it!
yup!
Retirement, the way many people use it, is not anything I find in the Bible of what God intended.
My understanding is we are to always be about some sort of help for His Kingdom.
He’s the reason we still have each breath!
The range of human natures is so vast that it does include box checkers, who probably get most of their satisfaction out of each and every box check, as well as their fun in creating the boxes in the first place. For those who need it, good on you!
Never worked for me.
Tried box checking a few times when influenced by New Year Resolution articles. Disaster. Totally depressing when no boxes got checked, and then the list disappeared in an avalanche of day to day paper. When it would finally resurrect itself during some cleaning frenzy, it would just take down the joy of seeing a surface that hadn’t been visible to even feel guilt about not dusting in months.
But good for those whose hearts warm with the stroke of a pen.
If your church has a prison ministry i would respectfully suggest you should consider serving there.
I can guarantee you it is as an uplifting serving experience as you will have.
👍🙂
Let us know how that works out. 😂👍🙏🎅
I really do seek some meaningful reason to get up in the morning, but, like you I have no desire to once again be locked into someone else’s schedule.
One tip about goal setting for retired people—do not set a goal that can end.
I have a relative who said they wanted to do three very specific (and admittedly challenging) things before they died.
It took years but they accomplished all three things—and died just a few days after the last goal was accomplished.
Do not do that!
I wonder if psychobabblers know they are psychobabbling.
The author threw in "spirituality" at the very end, maybe as an afterthought. Yet he used the philosophical term, "teleology", which denotes thoughts around the concept of "where is this existence stuff destined?".
How can one assert the concept of teleology without making the God of the Bible the be all and end all of one's purpose in life, in retirement, or in workaday life?
I suppose it's possible to deliberate on these matters in a strictly secular fashion. But, as Solomon so astutely observed, it would only result in "vanity and striving after wind".
That's all I have to say about that.
“How to Find and Maintain Purpose in Retirement”
One has a lifetime to do that through developing hobbies and interests. Just like one has a lifetime to save for retirement.
I knew what I was going to do in retirement when I was 16 years old. I was lucky and I praise God for that good fortune.
And just how does this "human behavioralist" know this? He's wallowing in his shallow anthropocentrism.
For we know, bears getting ready to hibernate might look forward to the warm spring sunshine and finding a mate.
Migrating birds in Canada might envision themselves lounging around the Florida waterways.
She will Love It !?!
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And Pops looks great in an Apron !
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