One of the fun tools I played with early in my retirement transition was writing 5 vignettes (short scenarios) based on 5 years in the future. I was learning about my love of writing and this sounded like a fun way to write creatively and also push my thinking on where I wanted to be in retirement. The core idea was to write as if it was 5 years in the future and you were telling the story of how you “came to be there”. Each vignette was to capture a different aspect of your future life in detail. The other fascinating thing about this tool was, after writing these stories you were supposed to just put them away. The idea was that the simple act of writing them was supposedly enough.
Well, it’s been nine years since I wrote those vignettes and I just recently came across them again! It is fascinating to see first what I wrote so early in my retirement transition, and also to compare my future vision versus what actually came to be. What was my early vision for retirement and how did it play out?
As I wrote those vignettes, I was realizing my love for words. In my career I did a lot of technical writing – technical story development, synthesis of research, white paper summaries of business books. I firmly believed, and still believe, that words matter. I had not yet started this blog, but one of my vignettes did include creating a blog! Granted, in the story I wrote, it was a food blog, which I attempted briefly (3 posts written and realized it was not my passion). I also had in one vignette reference “teaching” about retirement transition, which I did as a life coach for a while, definitely did with my book, and kind of still do in my blog! (Link here for the reality of my Retirement Transition book.)
Quite a few other aspects of the vignettes held true. I did start a foodie group in Cincinnati, but am struggling to find traction for one here in Florida. Downsizing and becoming snowbirds were other aspects in vignettes, which we did in the first years of retirement. Getting hubby’s sister settled in her new living accommodations was a big focus in our early retirement years.Taking my trip of a lifetime to Africa was a definite check-off. One vignette talked about worrying about over-commitment to activities and finding a more natural rhythm of living; something I continue to work on 10 years later!
But there were some things that did not happen in those 5 years or even in almost 10. Things like finding a new church community, renovating a house (what was I thinking?), and hubby realizing de-cluttering was a good thing. Of course, that last vignette was appropriately titled Fantasy!
My vision at the beginning of retirement was to “become the person I want to be”. At the time I defined it as truly active, a good friend, a published writer, growing my foodie wannabee-ness, and allowing the latent adventurer within me to emerge. I envisioned working part time (that lasted about 3 years!) and had nothing in there about a full-time move to Florida. Nor anything about the huge impact of a global pandemic!
So, an interesting tool. Some things I thought would happen just didn’t, but many did. I’m wondering if I should attempt to write another set. What will our lives be like in 2029? It sounds so far away, but so did 2020 when I wrote those vignettes in 2015!
Have you ever done an activity like this? What do you see for yourself in 2029?
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What a great idea, Pat. I bet it was interesting looking back on how you envisioned retirement compared to how it has been so far. I haven’t tried anything like that before. My son-in-law wrote a letter to his future self when he was a senior in high school, and someone at the school mailed it to his parents’ home five years later. That was pretty fun to read. I just may give this a try. It sounds like an enjoyable writing exercise and a tool for focusing my vision for the future. Thanks for the inspiration!
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Christie, Looking back on the tool, it definitely helped me see some paths forward when I first retried. I also realized these days that I’m much more living in the present than thinking about the future. No grand goals, no check-off bucket lists. Definitely a different point in my life!
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Hmmmm 2029? I expect to be the healthiest I’ve been since I graduated high school. I started the journey of increased activity and eating a bit less all while enjoying life. Once trails are approved for hiking, I’ll be hitting trails as well. I’m gradually letting go of excess pounds. I can walk 10 miles and feel terrific. I am a sewist. I’m making quilts for our community agencies that rescue abused women/children as well as “Sleep in Heavenly Peace” (they make beds for kids without and bedding is included). I’m a voracious reader-the paper in hand not audio. And I’ll continue toward the goal of spending time in every US state. 21 so far (including Alaska and Hawaii which most do last it seems) and one more in April. I don’t do a quick drive through or “the airport counts”. I spend real time taking it in and exploring.
I’m enjoying life and 2029 feels like more of the same. :-)
Cheers!
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Elle, Except for the sewing, I want to say “ditto!” I do believe I am the healthiest I’ve been since I was in my 20’s…maybe healthier. I could definitely stand to lose excess pounds, but I do enjoy eating!
I agree about paper in hand for reading (once in a while I’ll do Kindle, but cannot even consider Audio books!).
I hit the all 50 states a number of years ago. And you are correct, airports do not count, but drive through is OK – there is not much to see in some states! Breakfast in Kansas and lunch in Oklahoma was fine for me to check them off. All 50 states was a bucket list goal of mine when I was in my 20’s. Hubby joined in when we got together and we did years of National Parks for vacations. I asked him once, “what if I can’t travel?” (I think it was when my dad passed way too early in life)… and he said, he’d get a van set up and drive me to the last states needed. My last state btw was Oregon. My favorite state is Utah. Hmm, now I wonder if my 2029 stories should include one about traveling again… we’ve not traveled much at all in the last 5 years!
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I can’t say I’ve ever thought of writing like this but I do make lists (of course) similar to a bucket list but more diverse than just travel items.
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Bernie,
Oh I have my lists as well. Less now than in the past though. More “possibilities to consider” versus must-do-before. And yeah, mine is still heavy on travel, which is so weird as I’ve not traveled anywhere in years…. travel planning & executing right now to me feels so very daunting.
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Plan a 4 day getaway, somewhere that is easy to get to, and that interests you both. Keep it simple. And DO IT!
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I’ve not heard of a writing exercise like this one. Write down your specific goals, yes, BUT write as if you’ve achieved them is a different twist. I like it.
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Ally, I think the story-telling part of it was what intrigued me. I’ve always liked telling stories… and when I first retired, I lost my audience (lost 80% of my people connections!). It also felt less like goal setting and more like visioning. Of course, not one came true… aspects of them did, but not one was the true path I ended up taking!
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I like this post. What a great idea of writing your story of the next 5 years. I often have 1 and 5 year goals but they are usually in a list format or exist in my head. This idea would be similar to a prayer journal where you can look back and see how things worked out in the end.
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This tool was helpful when I first retired as I did not have many role models for retirement and so it gave me some ideas on path forward. Looking back, I didn’t really take any of those paths! Many things in the stories came true, but my path was not one I specifically wrote back then. I guess it’s similar to prayers…how things work out is not always what we ask for.
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Hi Pat – what an interesting exercise. The closest I’ve come to writing about future “me” was to write a 4 sentence eulogy for myself as part of writing (and life) challenge. That was quite an eye opener too – who you’d like to be remembered as…. Maybe I need to put some extra thought into the years ahead so that my eulogy is worth listening to when the time comes!
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Leanne, I’ve read about that eulogy writing challenge and could never get myself to write that. This one was interesting as I picked areas of my life – location, hobbies, second career, and relationships. It was also less frightening than death! It was helpful at the beginning of my retirement as it did give me some ideas on path forward. I keep coming back to 2029 though….it sounds so far ahead, but 5 years seems to go by so very fast.
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