Retirement Stats, Studies and Stuff
This is the title of a chapter in a book I first read in 1991. For some reason the book stayed with me all these years. I’m not particularly recommending that you read the book (written in 1979, it’s somewhat dated), but the author’s questions, irreverence and down-to-earth philosophy are appealing.
The book is called Wishcraft: How to Get What You Really Want and was written by Barbara Sher. Perhaps you’ve read it.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
It is never a bad time to try to figure out how we best fit in the world. Retirement, however, offers a rare window of opportunity. We’re freed from many responsibilities and have a chance to reconfigure our lives. So if you haven’t yet figured out what you want to be when you grow up, consider these thoughts and questions, paraphrased from Wishcraft.
• What would you say are the character attributes that define your identity?
• What do you really love? What things “give off a special whiff of fascination” for you? According to Sher, each one is a clue to understanding our unique way of viewing the world, or a special talent or ability we have.
• If you were a private eye snooping through your closets, drawers, and shelves, how would you describe yourself in your report?
• In going forward, sometimes it helps to go backward. Sher sends you looking for your “original self”, and asks what interested you when you were a youngster playing or daydreaming. What were your secret games and fantasies, and do they point to any talents you can be using today?
• If you were to create your fantasy day, what/where/who would be indispensable? Optional but desirable? Frills?
Your path
All these questions are to help you find your path, your sense of purpose. Sher claims that you will know you’ve found your path when you “suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need.” She says, “It is the only path that will ever truly absorb you.” That is an appealing thought, and one I’ve come to know is true, for me anyway.
Self-Coaching Questions
Can you book an hour this week to think about these questions as they relate to your path in retirement?