For many, the transition into Chapter X is filled with fear and trepidation. In some cases, that fear alone is enough to keep you from moving forward.
You know, that internal voice that says, “Well, I’d like to retire, but I’m comfortable with what I do now and I just don’t know what I’d do with all that time on my hands.” Or that other voice that says, “If I stop working, I’ll have no reason to get out of bed. I’ll be bored.” Or maybe it’s another voice screams, “You are no longer a man if you are not providing!”
Yes, other voices invade your head and fill you with all the reasons why you should not change.
Instead of listening to those lying, nasty, evil and dastardly voices, pony up to the bar and decide that there’s something (or many things) magical and wonderful beyond putting in your 9-5’s until you either die or are physically or cognitively unable to carry on.
To make the shift, you must flip a switch and change the narrative to a more positive, interesting, exciting, wonderful, meaningful, and fulfilling message.
Yes, there is certainty in your daily work routine. But there’s another certainty and that is the end of vitality, the end of cognition, and the end of life. You can use this idea as a motivator… “I don’t want to be carried feet first from my office!”
“I don’t want to be on my deathbed steeped in regret for all I haven’t done!”
Or you can create an exciting narrative, such as, “I value my life, my family, my friends, my community and wish to devote my energies to activities that bring joy to myself and others.”
Trust me, doing the same old, same old is easy. Change, at best, is challenging. What’s the cost of resisting change vs the benefits of courageously working through the short-term transition into a transformed you?
