I have mentioned material in Roiter’s book[i] several times. There is more in it and I sincerely recommend that you take a look at this book to gather important information. The book has four sections reflecting key issues in understanding retirement. They are: 1.Personal 2.Social 3.Financial and 4.Physical. I will not be talking about the financial at this time.
I suggest that you google retirement financial. There are many blog entries on that subject, as many of you probably know. I am more interested in psychological factors and will concentrate the non-financial information.
So we will start off with the Personal Factor, which is the last one, discussed. Roiter makes a strong case that the key to the whole process is to know yourself which helps us understand what we do and why we do it. This value is why I think that meditation is so important in our lives. He uses a cake metaphor to make his point “Yourself is much like a cake, made up of many parts, including (in the case of the cake) flour, sugar, milk, eggs flavorings, and other ingredients”
Of course this is true for all our lives but is particularly important as we approach and live our lives in retirement. “If your attitude is that aging consists of inevitable decline, that is what it will probably be for you. I believe that this book has demonstrated that this does not have to be the case….Focus on the difficulties and that is what you will find. Focus on the great an you may become deluded, for it is not all great. Focus on the good, and be aware of the great and the difficult an you will age well.”
I was able to find some questions you can ask yourself. Once you have answered them, sit back a write a brief paragraph about each of you answers.
1 Who has the most inspiring influence upon you? What is the cause?
2. Do you tolerate negative or discouraging influences which you can avoid?
3. Are you careless of your personal appearance? If so, when and why?
4. Have you learned how to "drown your troubles" by being too busy to be annoyed by them?
5. Would you call yourself a "spineless weakling" if you permitted others to do your thinking for you?
6. Do you neglect internal bathing until auto-intoxication makes you ill-tempered and irritable?
7. How many preventable disturbances annoy you, and why do you tolerate them?
8. Do you resort to liquor, narcotics, or cigarettes to "quiet your nerves"? If so, why do you not try will-power instead?
9. Does anyone "nag" you, and if so, for what reason?
10. Do you have a DEFINITE MAJOR PURPOSE, and if so, what is it, and what plan have you for achieving it?
11. Do you suffer from any of the Six Basic Fears? If so, which ones?
12. Have you a method by which you can shield yourself against the negative influence of others?
13. Do you make deliberate use of auto-suggestion to make your mind positive?
14. Which do you value most, your material possessions, or your privilege of controlling your own thoughts?
15. Are you easily influenced by others, against your own judgment
[i] Rotter, B. (2008) Beyond Work: How Accomplished people Retire Successfully, John Wiley and sons, Canada.
ii. www.successfulinsiders.com/…/self%11analysys-test-questions-16