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Mindful Choices
5 Plays21 minutes ago
Retirement frees you from living by default. So… what will you choose instead?
This episode delves into the idea of living with intention...one small step at a time.
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Transcript
The Typical Vision of Retirement
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Retirement. That's what we're all aiming at, right? But exactly what does that mean? conjures up visions of endless days of golf, drinks with little umbrellas in them on a tropical beach, feet up reading a book.
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Is that what it's all about? I don't think so. Life would get pretty dull after a while without anything meaningful to do, don't you think?
Exploring Life After Retirement with Jackie Doucette
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I'm Jackie Doucette, and I'm on a mission to discover exactly what life is like beyond retirement.
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Join me while I chat with people who've already done it, who've retired to something rather than from something. Let's find out together exactly what's waiting for us when we say goodbye to that nine to five.
Introduction to Season 6 of Beyond Retirement
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Hi everyone, welcome back. I'm your host, Jacqui Doucette, and this is episode 265 of Beyond Retirement. It's been a while. I'm glad you're back with me for season six. I've got some great guests lined up this season and I'm excited to get to them, but I thought I'd start the season off solo since it's been so long.
Freedom from Routine: Making Mindful Choices
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Today I want to talk a bit about the idea of mindful choices versus default living. Let's start with this idea. Retirement frees you from living by default.
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So, what will you choose instead? For the last few decades, most of your days have been taken up by routines, work, deadlines, family obligations.
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You didn't always have to think about how to spend your time because someone or something had already decided for you.
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But now you're retired, and the structure's probably gone. You're free. And that freedom? It's both exciting and, honestly, a little daunting, right?
Aligning Actions with Personal Goals
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So let's talk about how to move from default living to deliberate living. What is default living? Habits are the things we do on autopilot.
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We might not even realize we're doing them. I bet you put your pants on starting with the same leg every morning. Who cares, right? But that's a habit. Maybe it's scrolling on your phone as soon as you wake up.
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Maybe it's turning on the TV right after dinner. Or grocery shopping on the same day each week, even though your life no longer demands that schedule. These aren't bad.
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In fact, habits are incredibly useful. They reduce mental load, and they conserve energy. But here's the thing. Just because something is automatic doesn't mean it's aligned.
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And that's important. You want your actions to be aligned with who you want to be, aligned with the life you want to live now.
Redefining Routines through Mindful Choices
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In retirement, you've earned the space to question these default actions.
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Here's the second idea I want you to think about today. The power of micro-choices. to- Today's little choice becomes tomorrow's routine. Let that sit for a moment.
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You don't need to reinvent your life in a single dramatic gesture. You just need to make one conscious choice today. Maybe it's going for a walk before breakfast instead of turning on the news.
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Maybe it's calling a friend instead of texting.
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Maybe it's spending 10 minutes writing instead of scrolling aimlessly. Or maybe it's sitting with your coffee in silence instead of multitasking.
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These little mindful decisions may seem insignificant in the moment, but repeated, they become your new normal. They start to become your new habits. They become your legacy of intention.
Adjusting Work-Life Habits for Retirement Goals
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So here are a couple of questions to ask yourself. If you're wondering where to begin, try asking, what habits am I carrying from my working life that no longer serve me?
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What part of my day feels the most like I'm doing it unconsciously or by default?
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What's one small shift I can make this week that feels more aligned with who I am and who I want to be?
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You don't have to overhaul your entire routine. Just tweak one little thread and then another because each thread, when woven intentionally, becomes a fabric of a life you love.
From Obligation to Opportunity: Designing Intentional Days
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You can choose with purpose. And here's a mindset I often encourage in my coaching program. I get to choose now. Not I have to not I should, but I get to choose.
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This shift reframes your day from obligation to opportunity. You get to choose how your mornings begin. You get to choose what fills your afternoons.
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You get to choose what habits you want to reinforce and which ones you want to release. And over time, these choices create momentum, confidence, even joy.
Questioning Default Actions to Create Meaningful Days
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So before you go, i want to leave you with this little invitation. Notice just one default action today. Then pause and ask yourself, do I want to keep this?
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Or is there something more meaningful I'd rather do instead? Your retirement isn't about filling time. It's about designing your days with care, with attention, with intention.
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Because your time is valuable and your choices are powerful.
Revisiting Themes of Time, Passion, and Identity
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If this episode resonated with you, I invite you to listen to a few past episodes where we've explored topics like reclaiming your time, rediscovering your passions, and building your post-retirement identity.
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And hey, if you know someone who's newly retired and might be drifting through their days on autopilot, send this episode over their way. Or reach out to me and suggest a guest for an upcoming show.
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I'm always looking for stories of retirees who are reimagining what's possible. Until next time, I'm Jackie DeSette. Thanks for joining me on Beyond Retirement.
Conclusion and Invitation to YouTube Channel
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And that's it for this episode of Beyond Retirement. Thank you so much for hanging out with me. I hope you enjoyed it. To check out the video interviews, please go to my YouTube channel at bit.ly forward slash beyond retirement. That's B-I-T dot L-Y forward slash beyond retirement.
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Be sure to subscribe so you won't miss any new episodes.