In August 2007, I announced my intention to retire the following year. I told my work group that I wanted to finish strong, to make the most of that final stage in a rewarding career. The bucket list that emerged was long, productive, and fun. I enjoyed taking positive steps to prepare for the transition and to counter a common tendency to dial back, check out, and glide quietly into retirement.
In August 2015, I celebrated my 69th birthday and announced the beginning of my 70th year. Taking a cue from the pre-retirement experience, I decided to kick off the decade a year before the new age itself appeared on the screen. I want to take positive steps to prepare for the transition and to counter a common tendency to dial back, check out, and glide quietly into old age.
I am calling this new adventure Project Big Seven-Oh (B70 for short). I am making a bucket list of things that will help me ramp up for the next stage of growth. I plan to reflect on and write about the experience, engaging with those peers who want to share perspectives along the way. I expect email posts to be frequent but not regular (I am not making a new weekly commitment). I hope to generate conversation and look forward to hearing about your adventures and the lessons you are learning too. When the year concludes next August, I may collect our conversations into a small book to be shared more widely. We'll see when the time comes. For now, I am creating a new Project B70 email list. Reply to this email if you want to be added to that list.
I am also brainstorming ideas for a B70 bucket list: Get a tattoo, take a trip to Alaska, register for a college class, volunteer outside my comfort zone, try whitewater rafting, and consult a psychic. There are more, but let's start with these.
With even this short list, a theme is emerging. I want to do things that stretch my horizons and confront my fears. I already hear myself using age as an excuse to walk around challenges instead of embracing them. There is room for caution as abilities change, and there is room for naps when the schedule allows. But I don't want to make room for withdrawing from the adventure of full engagement with life. This year I want to experiment with balancing on the edge of my comfort zone.
How do you see the aging process? Where have you made realistic adjustments to accommodate changes within and around you? How do you rise to challenges and counter your own tendencies toward resignation, anxiety, and retreat?
