Your Post Career Can Be Just Like Opening a New Box of Crayons

When I was young, there was nothing like a new school year and a new box of crayons. If I was lucky, it would be the 48-count pack. Lots of colors and each with a sharp point. I just knew there was so much I could create with them! I’m really not artistic, but I loved the potential.

I actually carried a part of that routine through to college. Each semester I found a specialty store where I could get new pens and paper. It was a signal of great things ahead.

As I began to venture into my post-career years (once I stopped spinning and realized I could design my own future), I felt like I had the 120-pack of Crayola crayons, with all of the latest colors! I also had this big, blank canvas in front of me, and I could make it anything I wanted it to be.

I don’t recall another time in my life when I had that opportunity. I have time, I have experience, I have resources and I can create any future I want. And with 120 colors instead of 48, I can really add dimension to my plan.

What a gift it is.

As I work with clients, I find many constrained by their limiting beliefs as they begin to explore what their next chapters can look like. They don’t take the opportunity to begin with a blank canvas, but instead begin where they are today and consider tweaks they may be able to make.

Tweaks? Tweaks? They have worked many years to get to this point and they’re limiting themselves to tweaks? We owe it to ourselves to begin with a blank slate and work from there.

But what if you draw a complete blank as you look at that big white canvas? Nothing comes to mind. All you can think of is what you’re doing right now. You may actually begin to feel a tinge of fear as you sit in front of the canvas.

But here’s the thing. You can simply begin to doodle and clean it up later.

As you doodle, think back to all of the things that you loved to do when you were a kid or young adult. What did you stop doing when you became older and busier?

What about the things you saw your mentor or role models do? What about those things you longed to do when you were in the thick of your career while raising kids and helping your parents?

And all of those new things that are now offered that you’re super curious about? What about taking a hobby on location?

Sketching in Italy has a new appeal. Have you always wanted to learn a new language? Why not learn the language of the country you want to travel to?

Perhaps someone you admire seems to have their longevity lifestyle design right. What makes it so appealing? How is that different from how you are living today?

How can you incorporate some (or all?) of that into your design? No need to mimic it all, but rather pick and choose what really appeals to you and figure out a way to incorporate that.

As you capture these dreams, don’t worry about limitations that would make this difficult. Cast a wide net, capture ideas you love, and deal with reality only when it becomes necessary.

When you have your own box of crayons and draw your own plan, the future becomes anything you want it to be.

We all deserve the future of our dreams.

There is always the risk that someone else will take some of your crayons or try to draw your picture for you. This happens all the time.

When others hear that you’re retiring, they will want to share the things they do and may want to recruit you to do the same. This could be great if you are truly interested, and it might seem easier, or less risky.

But if you follow this route, you’re living their next chapter. Doing the activities they enjoy. Volunteering where they volunteer. Traveling to the places they dream of. Don’t run the risk of living someone else’s retirement. Make these the best years of your life, not anyone else’s. Hold on to your crayons.

Maybe you’ve filled multiple canvases. Some may be for the near term (in the next 5-10 years) and another may be for when you’re a bit older. Don’t let the size of the canvas limit you – you can always do more. Use all of the crayons.

Imagine the colorful canvas!

The exercise of coloring will likely provide excitement and inspire even more ideas. Allow yourself to live in this space for a bit. Revisit and add another level of detail and color. Do some research to see what other options there may be. And add a bit more.

Using this as a starting point as you design your longevity plan allows you to dream big and then tweak as appropriate.

Perhaps you have limiting factors, physical or financial, or responsibility for someone else. You can tweak your dream by accounting for those limitations. But you have to capture your biggest dreams first.

Go out and get your crayons and a big blank canvas and color away. Remember, you don’t have to stay inside the lines. The sky’s the limit …

By the way, did you know the 120 Crayola crayon colors include 23 shades of red, 20 shades of green, 19 shades of blue, 14 shades of orange, 13 shades of brown, eight shades of yellow, two shades of gray and two shades of blacks, plus one white, one gold and one silver.

You could be Rembrandt or Van Gogh. Impressionist or Realist. Or whatever.

About the Author;

Lori Becker is living her passion as an Author and Certified Retirement and Financial Coach with Becker Encore Coaching – working with individuals as they make the transition from their career’s work to creating their best life through Retirement Lifestyle Planning. If you would like to learn more about Lori’s work or have her speak to your organization, you can reach her through her website.