Having hit a milestone birthday recently, I felt prompted to consider my goals in life now that I’m technically on the cusp of retirement. I’ve been a proponent of written goals for some 40 years now, so I dove into our old computer hard drive to find the last comprehensive list of goals (more than 100) that I’d set for myself and for me and my husband John as a couple more than 10 years ago.
Studies have shown that when goals are written, even if they aren’t reviewed on a regular basis, they are more likely to be realized. I’d certainly say that has been the case for me. My first book was published in 2014 (amazingly enough, followed by six other books since then), John and I extensively updated our home, I’m driving my dream car, we’ve paid off our house and our portion of our children’s college expenses (and all four have graduated and paid off their student loans in full), we’ve covered the share of our children’s weddings to which we’d committed, and we’ve traveled extensively (London, Ireland, France, Japan, The Badlands, Boston, Savannah, L.A., San Diego, Phoenix, Dallas, Charleston, Austin, Denver, Nashville, the Grand Canyon, Hawaii, and more).
On the more personal side, John and I are doing what it takes to stay healthy and fit, I’ve been standing firm to my commitment to be consistently punctual (much easier as an empty-nester than it was with four young children to corral), invested in a year-round capsule wardrobe, was a chaperone on an Old Glory Honor Flight, saw the overturning of Roe v. Wade (still a lot of work to do to reinforce the value of life from conception to natural death in our country), and have upped my spiritual game by now attending Mass two or three times a week, praying the rosary daily, and setting aside at least 30 minutes every morning for reflection and reading the Word of God.
After reviewing the goal list again, there were things that I’d wanted to accomplish that I no longer do, including my running goals (finally hung up my running shoes), things that aren’t actually in my control, traveling to places such as Alaska, The Great Wall of China, Australia, New Orleans and San Francisco, mastering French and photography, and (*sigh*) being a celebrity dancer on Dancing with the Stars. (Sorry, Derek Hough, you’ll have to find someone else to do the quickstep with to Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting and Higher Ground.)
That being said, in these golden years of my life, I’m recommitting to some old goals and coming up with new ones including taking more continuing education classes, John and I getting electric bikes, traveling to Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, the East Coast during fall color season, Atlanta (to see Gone with the Wind sites), Virginia (to visit The Walton’s home turf), Italy (Rome and the Vatican for sure), taking a river cruise through Europe (Germany in particular), biking around Lake Winnebago (on those sweet electric bikes), investing significantly for our retirement, writing more books, reading all the books on my TBR pile (100-plus), attaining peak physical health, and seeing my books (A World Such as Heaven Intended and Anything But Groovy to start) produced as movies or limited run series on streaming services.
While some people may look at this time of life as the opportunity to start slowing down, I’m choosing to see it as the chance to up my game and spend time doing the things that matter the most to me with the people who matter the most to be with whatever time God gives me to spend on this earthly plane. My ultimate goal in the end? Spending eternity in Heaven with John, our children and grandchildren, and other family and friends. Now, that’s a goal truly worth working towards!