Retirement by Design

Image & quote by Charles Eames on design for accomplishing a purpose Artists, musicians, architects and other creators have a purpose in mind when they create a song, a sculpture, a building.  As the quote from American designer, Charles Eames says, design means having a plan for arranging all the elements to accomplish your purpose.

With a song:  the instruments, notes, mix, tempo, lyrics etc all come into the design of the song.

With a sculpture:  perspective, size, texture, material, finish all form the ultimate design.

Retirement by design means planning to arrange all the elements of your life:  family, work, travel, leisure, health, spirituality, and even work,  to accomplish your purpose.

Retirement by Design means planning to arrange all the elements of your life: family, work, travel, leisure, health, spirituality, and even work, to accomplish your purpose. Share on X

To accomplish your purpose, you must design your retirement around a plan that organizes all the elements that are important to you.   How will you live your retirement? How will you use your retirement? How will you design your retirement to accomplish your purpose?

The answers to these questions will help you decide how to spend your time and money each day.  You may want to begin by writing out a purpose for your retirement and then condense it to a Retirement Mission Statement.  Make your mission statement as personal, and direct as possible.

Writing your retirement purpose and mission will require introspection and analysis, and should be reviewed regularly, at least every 6 months.  Then you will be able to use your mission statement to:

  • provide clarity
  • set priorities
  • recover from set backs
  • provide direction in your life
  • in making make decisions and staying focussed on what’s important to you
  • you to respect your values and time
  • accomplish your purpose in retirement.

To begin your personal introspection,  write down your answers to  the following questions:

  1. Who am I?
  2. What do I like to do?
  3. How do I want to make a difference to myself or others?

Take some time with this exercise.  Set it aside and review it in 5 or 7 days.  Make adjustments if necessary and then read it every day to see how it feels.  Revise as necessary.  Share it with others, and post it below in our comments section.

If you have already have a plan for your retirement purpose, or a Retirement Mission Statement, please share it with others in the comment section below.

Do you need some help?  A retirement coach can help you work through the many facets of planning for retirement that can lead to designing your retirement purpose and personal retirement mission statement.  Click here to learn more about retirement coaching options and how to get started.

Enjoy

Designing Your Retirement

with a Plan towards Your Purpose!



2 thoughts on “Retirement by Design”

  • After 9 months of retirement from teaching, I am looking at my retirement as another career with different parameters. For instance, I set my own hours and work on projects that interest me. I haven’t been able to monetize any of them, but that will come.

    The biggest thing is that I didn’t leave teaching to be retired, I think of it as just leaving my job at that school board to try other pursuits.

  • Sounds like just the right thing for you! Isn’t it fun to pursue other things that aren’t motivated by having to make a living. That feels just right to me. And, for some it can be done while still working or working part-time. It’s like another world opens up! Thanks, Ctechr for telling us about your experience!

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