The Power of Long-Term Thinking in Retirement
“Without clear things to look forward to, life loses its flavour.”
– Anon
Retirement is often mistakenly perceived as the end-goal, when in reality it’s just the start of a new life phase.
Older adults often have a short-term view of their lives and fail to plan for the long term, yet they may live multiple decades beyond the standard retirement age.
Long-term thinking gives us the freedom to consider our purpose in a deeper, more profound way.
It can lead to a more fulfilling retirement experience and the ability to make a positive impact beyond our own lifespan.
Developing a long-term mindset doesn’t come naturally to us. We live in a world of instant gratification, where short-term goals are rewarded and re-enforced.
We also have to proactively confront the fallacy that retirement is the “finish-line”, where you rarely hear about 10 or 20-year plans post-retirement.
One of the best ways to foster a long-term mindset is through the intention and process of setting good goals. Goals that are 5, 10, 20, or even 50 years after your retirement.
In addition to your own goals, you can also set ones for your legacy – whether that is something for your grandchildren or something lasting for your community, Alma Mater, or the environment.
Here’s a great exercise to get you started tomorrow morning:
✤Start an “Ideas Journal”
Take time for free-form thinking every morning.
Start with jotting down your desires. For example, it might start as “I would like to record my history”.
✤Ask questions of existing ideas
The next morning you might start asking questions of those ideas.
For example, “What part of my history would I like to focus on? Who would I want to leave this record for?”
✤Turn ideas into action steps
You can then start to break down those ideas into action steps.
For example, “Every day I will set aside 1 hour to this task, starting with my experience at St Joseph’s College as a nursing student. I’ll start my first hour today.”
Writing in our Ideas Journal keeps our goals top-of-mind, and when we write day after day, we tend to think of what we’d like to do next.
By naming our dreams and accepting the first steps toward them, we move closer to the life we had previously only imagined!
Why not start your Ideas Journal right now?
These are meant to be some of the best years of our lives! And we are committed to facilitating that experience for our residents.
United Active Living is a privately-owned older adult retirement living community in Calgary, Alberta. We have three beautiful residences and offer retirement living lifestyles ranging from Independent Living to Assisted Living to Memory Care.
If you’re interested in learning more about United’s unique approach to aging, request a brochure or contact us for more information.
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Here’s a cameo of our care options:
Independent Living
Independent living is an ideal option for people who want to maintain an independent lifestyle, with optional care services available should they be needed one day. The focus is on convenience and an active life. Learn more…
Assisted Living
Assisted living is an ideal option for seniors who no longer want to, or are no longer able to, live alone but do not need intensive full-time medical care. We provide our residents with customized personal care plans that accommodate their unique health and wellness needs. Learn more…
Memory Care & Dementia
Living with dementia does not mean you have to stop being who you are. United Minds is an innovative program you won’t find anywhere else designed to provide a safe, nurturing environment where seniors with dementia and other cognition challenges can enjoy a positive life experience. Learn more…
Transforming the experience of aging
I think none of us wants to think of aging as being a period of decline and isolation, and really it shouldn’t be.
United takes a unique perspective, one that is gaining recognition within the industry as a preferred alternative to traditional housing and social programming.
Amy McDonough,
United Active Living
Testimonials
There are so many activities that keep my mind active. I like to learn something new every day and this place really caters to that and keeps me challenged.
You can bring your family and get them to join you for a meal, dinner or whatever you want their company for!
There's a reason I got a couple of my friends to move in, too!
You can go in any time in the day and order either breakfast, brunch, lunch or supper. The service is amazing and the food is excellent!
I love our apartment. It is just perfect for us. When I first walked in here, I remembered saying, this is so me!
