My current Retirement Lifestyle vision statement (below) is really defining the activities in which I engage. See link here on my review of how my vision statement was refined through my retirement transition to this current statement:
Active, Connected, Creative, Contemplative.
These 4 vision areas and my Putting Positive Psychology into Practice Tenets really define my daily, weekly, and monthly lifestyle!
Here’s a quick review of what my Putting Positive Psychology into Practice Tenets are:
- Savor the little things in life – Enjoy life’s micro-moments (find joy in each day – Jolts of Joy), Spend time in nature (Awe Walks)
- Invest in Experiences, not things – when planning activities, think about them with pleasurable Anticipation; when doing activities, be Attentive in the present moment; and when they are over, Reminisce about positive past
- Practice Daily Gratitude – write down 3 every day
- Practice Kindness
- Social Connections – be intentional with social bonding & friendships (both far-away virtual and IRL local) – walk & talks, whine and wine, substantive conversations, compatible couples, hubby time
- Mindfulness/Meditation – breath work, yoga, daily journaling; use the Emotional Awareness Assessment tool
- Exercise – daily movement, functional fitness (strength/cardio), and body maintenance (eat well, medical check-ups)
- Adequate Sleep
- Activate Signature Strengths from VIA Strengths (link here for finding yours) – Design your life to use your strengths more
- Encourage a Positive Future-Focused Mindset: Stop “catastrophizing”; Stop Compare & Despair mindset (shift to Compare & Admire or Compare & Inspire); Eliminate the shoulds in your life and replace them with wants; Stop “hearing” expectations; Let Go of Resentment; Shift judgment to compassion; Practice self-acceptance
- Find Purpose/Calling
Some of the different and fun things I am currently implementing in each area of my retirement lifestyle vision are:
- Active (Body/Physical) – restarted beach yoga (Red Tide seems to be gone!), more walk & talks with girlfriends (get those steps in!), and doing great on the execution of my Out-&-About for Fall plans.
- Connected (Heart/Emotional)– intentional connections are put on my calendar, including far-away friends (example: I started doing cross-stitch together with a friend as we Zoom – hi RB!) and more new-friend (local) relationship development (patience in the getting to know you stage). I’ve joined a local Ladies FB Meet-up group to find more people with common interests.
- Creative (Soul/Spiritual) – I continue to feel inadequate in this area but still doing cooking (new recipes and repeat recipes), gardening, writing/blogging, and the daily crossword puzzle. I’ve got a couple of crafts things I still hope to engage in this fall.
- Contemplative (Mind/Psychological) – exploring some feminist writings; trying new meditation app (Balance), actively working on shifting beliefs (Compare & Despair, the should’s/expectations).
It’s been over a year with a focus on these 4 areas and Putting Positive Psychology into Practice Tenets as my approach to living now in retirement. And it “feels right”!
Do you have a lifestyle vision statement that is working for you?
Photo Credit – me; sunrise visitor this week (and probably last sunrise for a bit with time change!)
retirementtransition 
I am glad this feels right because you seem to be much happier, well settled into your life in Florida, making new friends, finding new ways of enjoying life, and more confident all the way around. So glad the move is behind you now. Imagine what a terrific year 2022 is going to be!!
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I am feeling much happier (most days) and settling into life. There are still moments when I think, “oh we need to go back to Ohio soon”! I have high hopes for 2022.
I received so much support from all my blogging buddies when I was in the dumps this summer… it helped me put things into perspective and pull out of it. Thanks for being one of those buddies!
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I like that your reflections are both kind and caring not at all self-critical. A mellow look at what you are doing and how. I am about to kick off some more mindful drawing/design as I need some more creative focus. It’s funny, but I can always tell if I have not done anything creative …it takes less than 24 hours..and then I say “oh, I know what I need to do”. And then I am back to a better balance.
It’s always good to see your blog in the link up for Life This Week! Thank you so much for being a part of this community. Next week I am announcing my plans for 2022 on Denyse Whelan Blogs. See you then too, I hope. Denyse.
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Creativity has always been my hardest element in my vision. Lately though, I’ve started a few creative crafts, so maybe now was just the right time! Mindfulness for me is usually writing… which is creative. I know, but doesn’t always feel like it to me.
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Great outlook! Love these ideas. So much to enjoy out there in this great, wild world.
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Coming out of a tough 2 years, my vision statement and putting positive psychology into practice have really helped me re-energize living.
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I love the idea of a Lifestyle Vision Statement. I will definitely be giving that some thought. Prior to retiring I chose a word to focus on for the year and it was motivating. Now that my routine and priorities have changed I think it is time to reassess. Excellent article – thanks!!
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I’ve had hits and misses with a WOTY through the years. 2021 was a “miss” for me. But this vision statement is now into a 3rd year and still working for me. I’ve had others since I retired… so I do recommend trying one on! But, even if it’s just a WOTY, find something that fits your new retirement lifestyle. Debbie (commented below) is using BOLD as her WOTY this year and it’s become her vision for the year. I’ve loved seeing how she brought it to life!
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What a positive way of looking at things pat. My main tenet or lifestyle vision statement at the moment is to live a bold life and I’m very happy with my progress on this front.
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Deb – I’ve loved following your year of BOLD. My WOTY didn’t really pan out for me this year – I’ve had hits and misses through the years on a WOTY. I know I’ll pick one again. But I’m also keeping this vision statement as it does seem to be working for me.
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Your Lifestyle Vision Statement really resonated with me. I’ve been struggling a bit to come to grips with the changes that semi retirement bring so you’ve made me think that a vision statement may help me to see things in perspective. Will be giving this thought.
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Jennifer, my life vision statement has morphed a lot over the years but right now it feels right. When i engage in things that fit it over the week – not necessarily every day – I feel good about life. Some people have a life purpose statement, others have a vision board. As a word-girl who loves frameworks, this works for me. I hope you find something that works for you!
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Hi Pat – nice to see that you’re keeping things in balance and enjoying your new lifestyle. Things here are going well – a great birthday last week with lots of family time, and just a sense of gratitude for this life I currently enjoy – I think seem to be settling in well.
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Leanne, I feel a sense of settling into life as well…. and I like it! The weather here is very different than I am used to, but every week I do feel likeI am living my retirement vision. And that’s a good feeling.
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