Life is funny.

You hear people over and over talk about how they can’t wait until they retire. And, then when they do reach that age, the storyline continues about how they can’t do what they want.

Why is that?

Too often people have not prepared themselves for this phase of life. Bo and I are continually talking about how much discipline you need in your 40s to make retirement all you think it can be. You hear people talk about financial planning. In addition to looking at the money, you need to begin physically taking care of yourself. Your choices in your early ages affect your total health and enjoyment in retirement.

I remember wondering why all I ever hear old people talk about is their health. Now I know.

You can’t be loving up on retirement if you don’t have the health to enjoy it.

Ponder why you are thinking about the joys of retirement. Wonder why you can’t live that in the phase you are in now. Or, at least parts of it.

Too many people are putting off living today for tomorrow, and then, tomorrow never comes.

Listen to what you are telling others about retirement.

Is it the freedom to do what you want?

Is it the time to do whatever you like?

Is it having fewer responsibilities?

Is it having more fun?

Is it having less on the calendar?

Whatever you are saying, take note. Begin doing that now.

Are you living out the perfect days of retirement you imagined? Why not? How could you begin shifting that?

Retirement is grand if you have planned well for it. If you have the money, time and health to live out the dreams you have longed for.

Retirement can be the end of living too.

Where are you on the spectrum of loving up on retirement?

There are phases of retirement.

For anyone whose life and value was based on their career, it’s a hard transition to let go of that. Your identity was your job.

You realize how much of your life was based on what you did. Now what? When that is gone? It’s why it’s important to find a sense of purpose bigger than a job or career.

Part of the value was being busy and scheduled all the time. Now that you don’t have that to go to each day, what are you doing with your time? What’s the chatter in your head? Are you losing value and purpose each day? Are you feeling unworthy?

Lots of depression can happen when you haven’t continued a purpose.

I know when I retired from 30 years in education, I couldn’t wait to begin my new coaching business. All I could think about was building it and making it my life. I thought I needed to keep that pace and that compulsive drive going. I didn’t know anything else. But, as grandkids came, my focus began changing. I wanted time with them. Then, as Bo sold his business and we began traveling more, my priorities changed and I transitioned to a new phase in retirement. I wanted to enjoy life more, rather than do more. I wanted more freedom and fun. More spontaneity. Less structure and commitments. More peace and joy.

So when you first retire, you take all your ways of being with you. You don’t change overnight.

You take YOU with you wherever you go.

It’s important that you define what you want retirement to be, and then create that. Inside and outside of you.

Is life meant to put off everything you think you want until you retire? And, what if you don’t make it? What regrets do you have? What if you haven’t taken care of your health and you can’t get around? What if you haven’t planned financially for how much it costs when you aren’t replenishing that income each month?

It’s sad for me to see how many of my peers aren’t living life.

More of the conversations are people talking about all their ailments rather than all the fun, freedom and time to enjoy life that retirement has given them.

They have forgotten purpose and given in to life passing them by.

Lots of fears driving their choices.

Sure, it is a reality that you have a given amount of money.

Sure, it is a reality that you will die. But, can you live while you are here?

Sure, it’s a reality aging isn’t for sissies.

Take charge of living your life.

What could you do now so you can begin loving up on retirement? Whether that is planning for it, reimagining what could be possible, or allowing this message to be a reminder to kick you into greater action.

Live your life regret free so that when that times come, you will have given it your all.

Retirement is meant to be a blessing for all you have given to life.