As we begin our journey to aging gracefully, we all dream of being good role models to the younger generation. But oftentimes, we allow our perceptions of what other people feel or think about us to prevent us from becoming the person we want to be and achieving our dream. Most of us find it hard to break off from the mindset that in retirement, we are completely done with all the value we have to offer.
It is time to vehemently refuse the option of limiting ourselves by considering what people feel or say about us and choose instead to make a commitment to control our lives by reinventing ourselves and intentionally moving towards being the person we want to be.
We can achieve this by doing the following
Write down something that you will do daily to move you towards achieving your dreams. It was Abraham Lincoln who said, “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” Choose to take steps daily towards adding life to your years.
Break your plans down into little steps. It’s important that you do not set a bar that is beyond your capacity. That big dream that you have can be broken into little segments. This will make it easier for you to accomplish and help you avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Make sure you do not move to the next level until you have finished the previous step. Commit to making sure that you completely achieve your goal at each stage before you move on to the next so you can avoid the trap of having many unfinished projects around you which can breed frustration.
Look for an accountability partner. Having an accountability partner who will encourage you and keep you accountable is key to how well you succeed in becoming the person you want to be. This encouragement will move you forward when you are down and help you hold on when you feel like throwing in the towel.
Close your eyes and imagine yourself achieving your goals. It’s important to visualize the goals you want to accomplish. Envisage yourself being happy after achieving your goals and think about the satisfaction you will get over achieving those dreams. Looking at things from the end like it is done already, sometimes gives you the vigour and resilience you need to go on.
To be the role model you want to be, you must forgive yourself for past mistakes and press forward with the necessary zeal to live your best life of impact.
