Archive for ◊ October, 2012 ◊

• Sunday, October 14th, 2012

It seems that this is a question I’m always asking. In other words, we always have to keep figuring out the next steps in retirement just as in our previous work lives. Three things I have been involved with have come to an end, and new things lie ahead. When I sold my accounts at Ameriprise back in 2005, it was because I had had a dream in which my inner self told me that what I wanted then was less responsibility and more adventures. Seven years later, that is still the answer to the question of what’s next. The challenge of creating the life you want doesn’t end with retirement from work. After two years with an independent agency doing financial planning, and selling annuities, life insurance and long term care insurance, I have decided to refocus my energies on retirement coaching. Also, after eight years fighting the development of the golf course in my community, I spent the last year negotiating a compromise development in which the owner of the golf course donated the bulk of the land to our association for the building of lakes and pathways to preserve the land, with maintenance paid for by the new development on 1/3 of the land. With the passing of responsibility for negotiating details to our Master Association, I have retired from the fray! Also, I just completed a month-long series of programs on financial planning issues at my church, and I’m contemplating selling my home to downsize into something smaller. This is a challenge many people face in retirement, so I’ll be experiencing that also. As for the adventures, I’m going to work on my bucket list! Keep you posted!