Scary Times! Preparing for Retirement

Today’s world is filled with scary information concerning the future – tariffs, looming recession, falling dollar, rising unemployment, to name a few. Fear, panic, and discomfort are common emotions. These same emotions are also experienced by people preparing for retirement.

For some people, retirement is so overwhelming they sabotage their retirement plan by adopting a negative attitude. They accept the feeling that ‘it’s all over’, that the changes required are too hard and they are likely to fail. They look back at their life remembering the ‘good old days’ rather than welcoming the adventures that lie ahead. As a result of their negativism, they allow their health to deteriorate and lose their zest for life. They let negative emotions rule their actions and accept the retirement that just shows up. In doing so, they become the victim and use past events to make excuses.

Negative emotions often occur because the pre-retiree is entering a new world – one with different circumstances, behaviours and activities. It is a world filled with change, and with change comes opportunity! Just as a country (i.e. Canada) can pivot to creating its own destiny, a successful retirement takes courage, commitment and desire. Change is a natural part of retirement. This involves changing routines, making new friends, trying new activities, and taking on new responsibilities.

People with positive attitudes trust their abilities, are willing to take risks and believe in themselves. They look forward rather than backward, and they relish the future with a spirit of adventure. They choose the right behaviour and the right thoughts to get the right consequences, they create the retirement they want!

Creating a positive attitude means committing to yourself, getting involved in something worthwhile and continuing to grow in knowledge, skill and understanding. It is continually asking this question, “What do I need to do to bring about the changes I want?” It is viewing yourself as successful and having positive expectations for everything you do. The more positive images, questions, implicit beliefs and self-talk you engage in, the more positive your mind-set.

You have a choice. Be negative, repel others and look at the future with dread or be positive, attract like-minded people and view the future as a new and wonderful opportunity!

By pairing a well-formulated retirement vision with a positive attitude puts you on your way to creating a rewarding retirement lifestyle.  You are on the right track to actively molding your future.

For more information, read: Retirement: The Ultimate Life Journey. A Navigational Guide for Life After Work. Available on Amazon in both print and e-book formats.