“If you asked for my New Year Resolution, it would be to find out who I am.”
- Attributed to Irish actor Cyril Cusack
Happy New Year! This is the time of year we resolve to lose weight, exercise more, and spend less—all the things we feel we didn’t do well in 2016. Making resolutions is popular—41 percent of us do so. But only 9 percent of us (16 percent for those over 50) are able to keep them.
Why is it so difficult to stick to our self-improvement plans each year? Because they represent change, and change is hard. Transitions—from a person who loves sweet potato fries to a person who eats kale, or from a person who binge watches Netflix to a person who heads to the gym—are difficult. Now imagine how much more difficult and scary it can be to make one of the most significant transitions in our lives—from being employed to being retired.
We are so excited about retirement. “It will be fun,” we think. “I will never again set an alarm.” “I can do whatever I want.” But then the doubts creep in.
“Am I really ready?” “Have I saved enough money?” “Will my spouse and I argue over how to spend our retirement savings?” And, most important, “Who will I be when I am no longer working?”
Those voices you hear are you inner saboteurs. They are the voices that surface when we want to step out of our comfort zone and change the status quo. We all have them, and they can stop us from making positive change in our lives.
Every one of us has the judge—the voice that beats us up for our mistakes and warns us not to take risks. Some of us are people pleasers and others are controlling. These inner voices served important roles when we were young and unable to care for ourselves. “Hold my hand when we cross the street,” our parents told us. But we hang onto our caution long past its expiration date, and we stay stuck when we want to move on.
The first step in learning how to create your own happiness is to get in touch with your saboteurs. I encourage you to take this free assessment, based on the research outlined in the bestselling book Positive Intelligence by Shirzad Chamine. When you name you fears, you can make a choice to listen instead to your gut—the wisdom that lives deep within your soul. This is your inner truth, and it won’t steer you wrong.
And we can help you do this! If you have taken the self-assessment and want help in reigning in those negative voices, please be in touch at franlrandolph@gmail.com. Retirement is the next chapter in your life, and it can be the best one yet. Let us help you set aside your fears and step confidently into the future. Now that’s a resolution you can keep!