Retirement: What's Next?

Retirement: a new day is dawning. The old vision of gold watches and rocking chairs is a thing of the past. The term that was associated with "being put out to pasture" is now having new life breathed into it, thanks to the baby boomers.

Did you know every 7.5 seconds someone turns 55 years old, or that 10,000 people retire every day? Would you have ever guessed that the average age of 1st retirement in the United States is 57.5 years; not 62 or 65?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that in the 10 year period between 2000-2010, the population of men aged 55-64 will increase by 47.2%; for women the increase will be 46.6%. In addition to these figures, in the last nine decades, longevity has increased 30 years, so retirees could potentially be spending more time in retirement than in any other phase of life.

The old ideas of retirement no longer hold true. People are retiring earlier, presumably to have time to enjoy more out of life. As a group, they are entering retirement with physically healthier bodies than their parents had and have good reason to expect to live years longer, with more vibrancy and fullness. Also, watching old patterns of retirement has spurred the current generation on to get more bang for their buck. They have worked hard all their lives and now are seeking reward for their efforts – rewards of time and enjoyment of anticipated pleasures that up until now, were out of their reach.

Today retirees are more adventurous and mobile. Because many are financially solid, they look forward to traveling and living their dreams. The boomers, in general, have an expanded education base and value learning on all levels. They want to use acquired life skills to continue playing an active role in their communities. Having time to think, to reassess who they are now, is important life work for successfully answering the question "What do I want to do with the rest of my life?"

Usually, the first 6 months of retirement are great, like a honeymoon or an extended vacation. Somewhere along the way, however, the realization that you can't golf, fish or relax all the time hits, and a degree of disenchantment can set in. This is where the question "What's next?" is often asked.

Personal responsibility for choices is important in assure our overall happiness. Where do we begin when we have devoted our lives to following someone else's schedule, be that our employer or even our children? If we think about it, it may have been many years since we have taken the time to listen to our inner voice and hear the wisdom it is offering us. Who has time in the midst of career demands and putting others first to spend time with themselves? Retirement gives us that time to get reacquainted with who we are; to ask ourselves important questions, to think with clarity.

It is a useful tool to view our lives as invested in six areas: career, family, relationships, self, spirit and leisure. Each is an intricately woven fiber in the fabric of our being. We are the sum total of the balance we maintain in these life arenas. Spending time looking at each area individually helps us evaluate our strengths and weaknesses. This gives us a sound starting place to begin asking ourselves powerful questions. We can begin to think about possibilities for change, including our hopes and dreams, which allow us to move forward with goals that lead to self empowerment and direction. This is the key for a healthy retirement; for once gained, new horizons open before us and anything is possible.

Do you dare to dream?

Getting Motivated - 3 Questions To Ask Yourself If You "Just Don't Feel Like It"

I recently spoke with a business associate about why he had not shown up at a meeting he had said he would not attend. When he told me that he had not gone to the meeting because he "just didn't feel like it" I was surprised and confused.

When did not feeling like it become an excuse to not follow through with what you had said you were going to do? I believe it is this attitude that causes people to not succeed in various aspects of their life. When you do not feel like doing something, ask yourself these questions:

• Is there something else I would rather be doing? You may feel like you have to choose between two events that are happening at the same time. When you schedule a meeting or other activity write it down in a plan book or electronic calendar. If something is going to be a time conflict see if you can change the time of one of the events. Take advantage of time shifting. If you have a conference call or teleseminar scheduled, see if you can listen to the replay or get an mp3 recording of the call.
• Is this activity one that fits in with my goals and objectives for my personal, professional, or spiritual life? If something does not fall high on your list of priorities, it is unlikely that you will follow through with it. Try to judge that before you commit to doing something or being somewhere. Just be honest with people and tell them that you are not able to do what they are asking of you. You can even explain to them that you are managing your time and that what they want you to do does not fit into your allotment of time.
• Do I have a physical or psychological reason for not doing what I said I would do? If you are trying to do too much in your life you may become over tired or disinterested. Perhaps you are feeling overwhelmed at just want to stay home and relax with a book or a favorite television show.

Whatever the reason, being honest with the people around you is always the best decision to make. By telling others why you will not be doing what you had promised to do you will gain their respect. Let them know that you will be available for specific events and activities and that you can be counted on at those times. This is the best way to make valuable use of your time and always being a person that others can depend and rely upon.

It's Never Too Late to Start

Yesterday night was Daegan's last day in Singapore, we sent him off to the airport to catch a flight back to Washington DC. Before he went through the immigration, we went for a drink at a Japanese restaurant.

It was a nice last thirty minutes or so of heart to heart chat with everyone, and nothing much about our business. At some point of time I felt really fortunate to have exposed myself to such a like-minded group of friends. A choice I made that I will never regret.

I sat in silence and thought to myself. Everyone make choices, you either make the right one or the wrong one. It's not as tough as it seems. If you want to succeed, you just have to make sacrifices and go for the right choice. Ultimately, our destiny is within our hands, our control.

In a few more minutes, I'll soon turn 21 and I have a long way to go and many things to learn. It will mark a significant day in my life. Two years ago, I really never thought that a choice could change a person perception in life but it did for me.

My point is it's never too late to start pursuing the dreams you want the most. It's all about the choices you make that will take you to the next level, so stop hesitating and go for what you want!

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P.S In school we never learn much about self esteem, confidence, how to build a passionate relation, how to interact with people, all the life skills we need to be successful in life. If you could master these skills, you will master your wealth. This is what I'm talking about . . . (Just check out the resource box below)

How To Set Your Goals

We know that goal setting is very important for setting up our direction and finally shaping our life. It is however not known to many people that the goals need to be set in the right way otherwise they will not be effective. In this article, we will talk about the importance of the goals and how we can set the goals for our future success. In addition, we will talk about the way to enhance the chance of achieving goals.

Before we go to goal setting, we need to understand why we need goal. How important is goal setting to our life. The answer is that it is very important. Goal setting is so important to the direction in life that we can not be successful if we do not have goals. Leading life without the goals is similar to sailing without a compass. We will not know which direction we are heading. We will not know when and where we are going to end up with. We will not know our destiny. We will leave our life depending upon the environment and the plan other people, the one that have the goals of his own, has made. In real life, we might die only a few days after we have lost our compass while we sail in the ocean.

If goal setting is so important, why do only few people have goals? We learned that majority of people in this world do not come from a family that have goals. They did not learn goal setting in any places in their world and they do not see the important of it. Besides, their parents have never told them the importance of the goal and they lead live like their parents did or are doing. They do not even believe that all successes come from goal setting.

In order to be able to set effective goals, we need to do some homework to find out what we need first. Goal setting without enough motivation to achieve it is like not setting goal at all. Our brain will deny doing things to achieve the goals because we do not see the necessity in our mind. And all things start with the mind. Goal setting is like any other meaningful activity. It needs discipline and hard working to make it and review it. What we need to check so that we can be good at goal setting are the following.

What we like most? What we want to do if we will not have to work for the rest of our life? What we want to do if we do not earn from what we are doing? The answers of these questions will reveal what we want in life and will enable us to have enough reasons for our goals. After we know the reason, we need to write the goals down in paper. Do not just have goals in mind. It will not last. Goal setting will not have any meaning if you just put it in the air and do not want to do anything. Writing down your goals will enhance your possibility of achieving them by five times. Do not ignore this important step. The best time to write down your goal is when you have most powerful mind power which is either before going to bed or immediately after you wake up. The number of goals that you set up will depend on what area you need to concentrate on. The best number of goals should be around twenty for short term and fifty for long term. Keeping the goals with you will help you remind the purpose of them and the steps to follow through.

Regularly visualize yourself achieving the goals will be another process to follow. It will attract the situation and attributes to help us being closer to our goals according to the law of attraction. Make sure that you make enough visualization daily and if you need, you can add the accelerated music to the process.

Goals, Guts, and Greatness

Regardless of what most success and business books and magazines say, the most important thing you can do is to set goals that make you better. Goals based on acquiring a better job, higher sales numbers, and faster, slicker cars have their place—but I am suggesting setting goals to be more in life—not to have more. Everyone was created with particular inner gifts and talents. Our only job in life is to evolve ourselves. We are put on earth equipped with everything within us to live a fabulous life.

Madison Avenue would have us think that a fabulous life looks like flash, glitz, busyness—you get the picture—anything that they can sell to you. But, I submit that you can have a fabulous life by being as you were created to be. Capitalism makes us think that we only deserve to have a good life if we play the capitalistic game. Many, if not most people, choose their educational path based on its earning capacity. Whatever happened to learning for the joy of it and for personal enrichment? And, how many kids are trying to play sports with the goal in mind of being a "star?" What happened to the love of the sport and learning about teamwork and interdependence?

Setting goals to enhance your life can be very exciting and inspiring. How about running a marathon? Learning a foreign language or to play an instrument—not for the purpose of making a living, but for making a life! I love what E. V. Ingraham says, in his book Wells of Abundance, "When working men and women realize that work is for the purpose of expressing and developing skill, there will be no drudgery in their labors," I think the same is true for setting goals. Goals can be a way of enhancing your inherent gifts and talents and expanding your horizons.

Aside from the fact that you fuel your action from your passions and interests, there is no sense of competition. It's not about beating someone else out for a position, no motive of jealousy, or the need for agreement from others—it is something that you do for yourself—for your own personal growth. I promise you, the more you love Life, the more Life will love you. And, how does life love you? Life loves you as health, joy, peace, passion, great relationships, and prosperity. Loving Life makes you more attractive—your attention is attracted to more Life. Life is an expansive process—trust the process. Go for it! Set great goals that inspire you. Set goals for every area of your life—health, relationship, intellectual, family, and spiritual. Take an inventory of your life and set goals that stretch you and make you have a new appreciation for yourself. Achieving goals builds confidence and faith. Confidence in yourself and faith in God.

Set contextual goals—like being more loving, kinder, or more forgiving. As you begin to express yourself in a more expansive way you will be guided to the fulfillment of your higher Self—your God Self. At the end of the day, how do you want the people who you love to remember you?

Goal Setting Tools - Understanding Them

If you're an entrepreneur or an employer that is really very serious about achieving your career goals then you can definitely benefit from goal setting tools. Goal setting tools are special tools that are designed to help you achieve your goals in rapid time. In this article, we'll discuss the most common goal setting tools and how you can use them to your advantage.

1. Written Plans. The first set of goal setting tools are written plans that you create based on your very own attainable goals. These written plans typically include mission statements, worksheets, priority sheets, and other types of documents to help you achieve your goals. You can usually find these written plans in the back of goal setting books and manuals.

2. Organizers. The second set of tools are electronic and paper bound planners. With the paper planning set, you utilize a monthly or daily paper planning system and then write down and track your goals as you achieve them. For those of you that prefer an electronic version, you are able to utilize your Pocket PC or PDA/Palm Pilot to organize your goals and keep track of them. The electronic versions typically have the same functionality as the written kind. Some common manufacturers of paper organizers are Franklin Covey and Day Timer. Both of these designers offer a plethora of types of electronic and paper planners that you can utilize to get control of your goals.

2. Software. In addition to the above mentioned organizers, there are also various software programs that allow you to track and monitor your goals. One very popular program is called the Goal Enforcer. This computer program allows you to keep track of your personal and professional tasks right on your computer screen. With this program, you are able to accurately keep track of your goals. Another program is GoalPro 6. With this program you are able to set precise goals, input dates and completion times for your goals, and much more. Both software programs offer a variety of options for the serious goal setter.

3. Personally designed tools. You can also create your own custom tools utilizing Microsoft Excel or Outlook. By creating your own goal setting program, you can specifically tailor the goal setting program to meet your precise needs and specifications.

In conclusion, you can utilize organizers, software or your own creation to review and achieve both long and short term goals. By choosing the right goal setting system, you will definitely achieve your personal and professional goals in record time. So, choose the right goal planning program today!

Overcoming Procrastination - Tips For Overcoming Procrastination

Procrastination, is a behavior or habit of waiting until the last minute or putting off completing a task. Procrastination can become a major issue to overcome in your personal and professional life. Added stress, overwhelmed, never having enough time, guilt, feeling that life is passing you by, and missing opportunities are just a few of the long list of symptoms. Through this article, we are wanting to explain the major causes and how to completely overcome procrastination with some simple ideas to practice.

First, the thought process of having to do something is the first major factor in procrastinating. Telling yourself that "you have to do this" or "you have to complete that task". In all reality, you are feeling forced into completing a task, which is automatically adding displeasure and wanting to disobey. So the result is very easy, and procrastination slowly creeps in as a defense mechanism for not wanting to feel the pressure or force of completing a certain task.

So the solution is first to start mentally blocking the fact that you are not being forced to do anything. You are a free person with a choice to do anything you want, even if there is some major consequences, it's still a choice that we all have. All the different choices you choose through your life's journey has gotten you to where you are now. And your free to continue making any kind of choice to change where you are heading and will be in down the road.

But, about this, there are some areas in your life that you do not procrastinate at all. This area is different for everyone, but for some it could be spending time with a spouse, checking your email, or paying bills on time. The honest truth is the worst procrastintor still overcomes procrastination in some areas of his or her life. What it boils down to is the choice is yours. When it comes to starting that really hard project or that task that you just dread thinking about starting it, it's that whole feeling of "I have to do it". Start looking at things differently and start choosing do things on your free will, and always remember your free to do whatever you choose.

The next new idea for overcoming procrastination is what some call "time box". This concept is taking a large task and braking it into a smaller task over a period of time. For example, you have a task that will take you several hours of work, so you start off with working on the project or task for 30 minutes, and after that 30 minutes is up you reward yourself immediately after completing the 30 minutes of work. Whatever is enjoyable to you, some it could be taking a break, and walking around, watching tv, just relaxing, get a snack, etc. This is a great idea because what ends up happening is that you work in a lot of short spans, but your focus shifts to the reward after the work, that you will soon find that your working well over 30 minutes to complete the task. This is a great way to dive into some really hard task, and no matter how much you did not want to do it, you quickly find yourself thinking about that reward and the 30 minutes is up already.

I hope this article has informed you on how to overcome procrastination and a little more information of what causes procrastination. Understanding procrastination and what it's associated with is the first step in overcoming procrastination. Remember one simple way to overcome procrastination is simply start adding pleasure and declining the pain that is associated to a unwanted or difficult task.

Personal Goal Setting Tips

Setting personal goals is essential to everyone who wants to practice personal self-improvement. Personal goal setting is also a powerful way to harness your inner power to accomplish great things for yourself.

If you're ready to take your life to the next level, apply the following personal goal setting tips.

1. Take stock.

Where are you right now? What do you want? Define your goal(s) specifically. Don't beat around the bush or build long, drawn-out ideas of grandeur. State your goals, plain and simple. How far are your ultimate goals from where you are now? Take a really good look at yourself and be honest about who you are, where you are, what you want, and how you can get there.

2. Define your wants and needs.

Clearly define your heart's desires. What do you truly want? What values are most important to you? When you can define your wants and needs, you will have a clear vision of the desired end result. When you can clearly see in your mind's eye what you are working towards, giving up will not be any option.

3. Plan your road trip.

Now that you know what your goals are, how will you reach them? What will you do to get to the finish line? Perhaps you will have to make certain sacrifices. Maybe you will need to put in more time to reach your goal than you thought it would take. Create a solid, sound plan that you can use as a map on your road trip to accomplishing your goals.

4. Set out for your destination.

You've taken stock of where you are in this very moment. Next, you defined your heart's desire and got real with yourself. Afterward, you created a plan of action to follow to reach your goals and dreams. Now it's time to step into that action. Get busy, one step at a time.