Category Archives: Goals

Begin Again Adventure: A Boomer’s Journey to Reinvent and Inspire

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Begin Again Adventure: A Boomer’s Journey to Reinvent and Inspire

Introduction

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” This timeless wisdom perfectly reflects the journey of a Begin Again Adventure—a call to transform and embrace a new chapter of life. Growth starts with readiness, and readiness begins with self-awareness. As Boomers, embarking on a fresh path—whether a nomadic lifestyle, a new passion, or an ambitious goal—requires clarity of mind, resilience, and purpose.

Tabula Rasa: Your Begin Again Adventure

Starting fresh is a chance to redefine your future. Imagine early settlers preparing for the unknown frontier, armed with courage and careful planning. Today, my #tinyhouse #RV offers the same opportunity to begin again, equipped with every convenience for an extended journey: home, office, gym, and kitchen.

Reflecting on the past, I remind myself:

“Our past is merely part of where we’re going.”

This blog shares my preparations for a Begin Again Adventure and offers guidance to align mindset, goals, and adventurous spirits.

Where Are You Now on Your Begin Again Adventure?

Embrace Self-Awareness

As Mo Gawdat shares in That Little Voice in Your Head, transformation begins with “Be, then Learn, then Do.” Growth requires embracing the present, understanding fears, and envisioning aspirations.

Ask yourself:

  • What excites or scares me about change?
  • How do I respond to setbacks?
  • Am I open to new opportunities?

Perspective Shapes Potential

Consider the story of the young boy practicing baseball, throwing the ball up and missing his swings but declaring, “What a great pitcher I am!” This optimism is key to celebrating growth over failure.

Practical Tip: Write down your past successes and moments of resilience. Reflecting on these can remind you of your capacity for growth.

Visualizing Success: Where Do You Want to Go?

Define Your Vision

Your story begins with “And then…” How will it continue? Success starts in the mind. Thomas J. Watson, IBM’s founder, envisioned his company before it took shape. Similarly, visualize your Begin Again Adventure and break it into actionable steps.

Ask yourself:

  • What does success look like for me?
  • What values guide my decisions?

Actionable Insight: Create a vision board or journal your aspirations. Use 90-day adventures to focus your goals and write down daily “MITs” (Most Important Things).

BIG Questions for Big Adventures:

  • If you had six months to live, what would you do?
  • If failure wasn’t an option, what would you try?
  • What is the one thing you want said about you when you’re gone?

Evaluating Traits for Your Begin Again Adventure

1. Resilience

Inspired by my daughter, who faced challenges with unshakable grit, I’ve learned that resilience is the ability to turn setbacks into opportunities.

2. Curiosity

Foster curiosity by exploring the unfamiliar and asking new questions. As Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

3. Love for the Unknown

Over 24 years, I’ve driven over a million miles across North America, exploring every U.S. state but Alaska and the Canadian provinces coast to coast. A love for the unknown fueled each mile.

Practical Lesson: Don’t Wait for Pain to Force Change

Remember the farmer’s dog lying on a nail? It stayed put and whined because “it didn’t hurt bad enough yet.” Don’t wait—embrace proactive change now.

Practical Steps: How Will You Get There?

Plan for Success

Success is built on consistent, deliberate steps. Tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and reMarkable help structure plans and keep them aligned with values and goals.

Build Daily Habits

Prioritize health and celebrate small wins. Whether it’s yoga, cardio, or balanced nutrition, small changes create big results over time.

Practical Tools: Use frameworks like the Grit Scale to measure resilience and seek inspiration from mentors and like-minded individuals.

Conclusion: Begin Again Today

Every great journey begins with self-awareness and a clear vision. Ask yourself:

  • Where am I?
  • Where do I want to go?
  • How do I plan to get there?

Take inspiration from life’s challenges and let resilience and optimism shape your next chapter.

Final Thought:
“The past is merely part of where we’re going.” With clarity, focus, and determination, you can transform obstacles into opportunities and make this next chapter your most impactful yet.

Learn more about Goal Setting Here

Watch Mo Gawdat explain the power we have over our thinking.

Love’s Enduring Blueprint

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Love’s Enduring Blueprint: Hygiene and Motivation Factors

Navigating the landscape of relationships in later stages of life presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities for older-than-average couples. The wisdom of Frederick Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, initially aimed at deciphering job satisfaction, offers an illuminating framework for understanding what makes such relationships thrive. By adapting the theory’s “Hygiene Factors” and “Motivation Factors” to the realm of personal connections, we can uncover strategies for older-than-average couples to foster lasting success and fulfillment in their partnerships.

Delving into the Two-Factor Theory

Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory introduces two distinct categories that influence satisfaction: Hygiene Factors and Motivation Factors. Hygiene Factors refer to the environmental conditions that prevent dissatisfaction but don’t necessarily motivate on their own. In the context of older-than-average couples, these factors underscore the importance of stability and security, encompassing financial well-being, health, effective communication, and mutual respect and trust. Though not directly contributing to the relationship’s joy, their absence can lead to discord.

Conversely, Motivation Factors are the true catalysts for satisfaction, involving aspects that foster deep emotional, intellectual, and spiritual connections. These include shared aspirations, recognition of each other’s contributions, quality time, and emotional intimacy. For older-than-average couples, prioritizing these factors becomes crucial as they navigate the complexities of their shared life paths.

The Importance for Older-Than-Average Couples

The nuanced application of Hygiene and Motivation Factors can significantly impact the relationship dynamics of older-than-average couples. Addressing Hygiene Factors ensures a solid foundation, eliminating sources of potential dissatisfaction. Simultaneously, focusing on Motivation Factors allows couples to deepen their bond, enhancing mutual understanding and joy in their companionship.

Crafting Stability Through Hygiene Factors

  • Financial and Health Security: Addressing these practical aspects can alleviate stress, fostering a sense of security.
  • Clear Communication: Essential for maintaining a strong connection and addressing needs and concerns.
  • Respect and Trust: The bedrock of any relationship, particularly vital as couples face the challenges and changes of later life.

Deepening Bonds with Motivation Factors

  • Emotional Intimacy: Sharing feelings and experiences strengthens the bond.
  • Pursuing Shared Goals: Collaborating on future plans and dreams adds a layer of companionship.
  • Appreciation and Quality Time: Regularly expressing gratitude and spending meaningful time together nurture the relationship’s growth.

Harmonizing Hygiene and Motivation

The interplay between Hygiene and Motivation Factors is key to a flourishing relationship for older-than-average couples. A stable, secure environment allows for the pursuit of deeper, more fulfilling emotional and intellectual connections. Regularly evaluating and addressing both sets of factors can help couples maintain a dynamic, resilient partnership.

Steps Toward Lasting Love

Older-than-average couples can strengthen their relationship by openly discussing their needs, setting joint goals, and celebrating life’s small and significant milestones. Prioritizing both Hygiene and Motivation Factors creates a balanced, nurturing environment conducive to long-term happiness and mutual growth.

Conclusion

For older-than-average couples, achieving a lasting and fulfilling relationship is both a delicate balance and a rewarding journey. By applying Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory to the intricacies of their partnership, couples can create a blueprint for enduring love. This approach not only helps navigate the challenges unique to their stage of life but also celebrates the depth and richness of their shared experiences. With a focus on both Hygiene and Motivation Factors, older-than-average couples can look forward to a future filled with joy, understanding, and companionship.

 

Developing Goals for Baby Boomers: Exert, Evolve, and Execute for a Fulfilling Retirement

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Developing Goals for Baby Boomers: Exert, Evolve, and Execute for a Fulfilling Retirement

Portrait of confident senior male carpenter standing by his workbench looking at camera. Mature male carpenter in his workshop with laptop on table.

Are you a baby boomer looking to develop meaningful retirement goals? Developing Goals for Baby Boomers using the progressive repetitive steps of Exerting, Evolving, and Executing can help you build physical and mental strength, continue to learn and grow, and take action toward fulfilling your goals.

Exert: Building Physical and Mental Strength

The first step in the progressive repetitive process is to exert oneself physically and mentally. As a baby boomer, you may find that your body and mind are not as strong as they once were, but there are still many ways to build strength and resilience. For example, you might consider:

  • Exercising regularly: Even a 30-minute walk each day can help improve your physical health and mood.
  • Taking up a new hobby: Engaging in activities that require physical or mental effort, such as gardening or crossword puzzles, can help keep your mind and body active.
  • Engaging in intellectual pursuits: Reading, attending lectures or workshops, or learning a new language can help keep your mind sharp and engaged.

By exerting yourself physically and mentally, you can build a foundation of strength and resilience that can be used to achieve future goals.

Evolve: Growing and Developing Over Time

The second step in the progressive repetitive process is to evolve or to grow and develop over time. As a baby boomer, you may have already achieved many of your life goals, but there is always room for growth and development. Consider setting long-term goals that challenge you and allow you to continue learning and growing. For example:

  • Learning a new skill: Whether it’s cooking, painting, or playing an instrument, learning a new skill can be a fun and rewarding way to continue growing and developing.
  • Traveling to new places: Exploring new cultures and experiencing new things can help broaden your horizons and keep life interesting.
  • Volunteering for a cause: Helping others can be a meaningful way to give back and stay engaged with the world around you.

By setting long-term goals that challenge you and allow you to continue growing and developing, you can stay motivated and fulfilled in your retirement years.

Execute: Turning Dreams into Reality

The final step in the progressive repetitive process is to execute or to take action to achieve your goals. This is where the rubber meets the road, and where you can turn your dreams into reality. To execute your goals, consider:

  • Breaking down larger goals into smaller, more manageable steps: This can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and stay motivated.
  • Seeking out resources and support: Whether it’s a fitness coach, a mentor, or a community of like-minded individuals, there are many resources available to help you achieve your goals.
  • Staying motivated and accountable: Set deadlines, track your progress, and celebrate your successes to stay motivated and accountable.

By taking action to achieve your goals, you can turn your dreams into reality and live a fulfilling and meaningful life.

Outtake

As a baby boomer, you may be facing unique challenges in your retirement years, but you also have many opportunities to stay engaged, active, and fulfilled than ever before. By using the progressive repetitive steps of exerting, evolving, and executing, you can develop goals that help you build physical and mental strength, continue to learn and grow and take action towards meaningful goals. Whether it’s exercising regularly, learning a new skill, or traveling to new places, there are many ways to stay motivated and fulfilled in your retirement years.

At Boomer to Zoomer, we’re committed to providing resources and support to help baby boomers live their best lives. Our website is filled with articles, tips, and advice to help you navigate the challenges and opportunities of retirement. We also offer a community of like-minded individuals who are on the same journey, providing support, inspiration, and motivation to help you achieve your goals.

So why wait? Start using the progressive repetitive steps of exerting, evolving, and executing to develop goals that will help you live a fulfilling and meaningful life in your retirement years. With the right mindset, support, and resources, anything is possible.

Find tips on traveling with goals HERE

Find goal setting for side hustles for baby boomers: HERE

Senior Fast Get-Away Tips

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Recently, I needed a break. I had completed cancer treatment and a reward was warranted. I just wanted to quickly travel to some sunny place and have someone else fix my meals and say please and thank you. Mostly, I wanted to remain totally anonymous, just see and not be seen. Here are five steps to make travel for seniors more enjoyable.

Senior Fast Get-Away Tips

Senior Fast Get-Away Tips

Plan Ahead.

When planning your trip, it’s important to research your destination and accommodations to ensure they are senior-friendly. Consider factors like accessibility, transportation options, and proximity to medical facilities. If you have specific needs, like wheelchair accessibility or medical equipment, make arrangements ahead of time to ensure they are available when you arrive.

I wanted easy transportation and attractive accommodation. Originally, I thought the idea of a short cruise might be a good option. The disadvantage was the nearest port with a cruise that would work was a plane ride away. If I was going to take a flight, I wanted to arrive and be feet up within two hours. Not waiting for afternoon check-in and living out of a carry-on.

With an early flight, it made sense to start with prepaying the enclosed long-term parking at the airport. It is so easy to enter and exit with a QR code on the mobile receipt.

Arriving early at the airport is essential to starting a trip feeling the least stressed. In fact, I make it a habit of signing off nearly all responsibilities a day earlier than my flight so I can take a breath and focus on enjoying a few days without responsibilities. It’s cheaper to chill at home and pack thoughtfully. For that reason, I flew out on Sunday morning early.

The destination I wanted needed to be close to the arrival airport. I was not interested in a long van ride with other guests and sweltering heat. I decided that all-inclusive resorts don’t work for me. As an abstainer, it’s never a bargain. I just wanted it to have a pool, decent restaurants on the property, easy walking to entertainment as necessary, and enough sights and sounds to keep my attention in the here-and-now moment.

Pack smart.

Packing light and using luggage with wheels can make navigating airports and other destinations much easier. Consider packing versatile clothing that can be mixed and matched and bring any necessary medications or documents in your carry-on bag. Start with investing in a good travel bag or suitcase that is easy to maneuver, light, and fits your needs.

I amazed myself at how few things I really need for four days away. The biggest liquid turned out to be shaving cream, which I never got around to using. Changes in undergarments, replacement bottom & top in case of spills, and lighter shoes occupied very little carry-on space. No need for anything larger. Adding some outer clothing for unexpected weather conditions to the outside pocket gives fast wardrobe changes as needed.

I discovered a decent hack at the airport when checking in. Airline attendants nearly always offer no fee for checking your carry-on as baggage if checked at the gate. Interestingly, it costs no extra. Normally, checked baggage exceeds $30 for each checked item. You simply leave your carry-on at the plane door for white-glove pick-up. As I discovered, last-on luggage is first-off luggage. By the time I got to the luggage carousel, my bag was already waiting for me.  I loved not having to horst the bag into the overhead bin and down again in a crowd of passengers.

Navigating airports with ease.

Many airports offer wheelchair assistance, pre-boarding, and TSA PreCheck for seniors. Take advantage of these services to make the airport experience less stressful. Additionally, consider bringing an extra pair of comfortable shoes for long walks through the airport.

Arriving two hours before your flight is just good thinking when you know the airport is not your friend. Every airport TSA checkpoint can be different. Shoes off, and laptops out, can be ignored in one place and strictly adhered to in another. Just expect slow-moving lines, and you keeping a watch for the next bathroom, and I suspect you won’t be disappointed.

Choose senior-friendly destinations.

When choosing a destination, look for places that offer easy accessibility, like flat terrain, ramps, and elevators. Consider visiting senior-friendly attractions like museums, botanical gardens, or theaters. Many cities and tourist destinations also offer senior discounts or special packages, so be sure to research these options before you book your trip.

Destination and accommodations are important to me. Creature comforts like room temperature, lots of pillows and towels, and a fridge are essential. I like black-out curtains to facilitate daytime sleep. I love an afternoon nap of one to two hours for no reason whatsoever.

And don’t ask me to wait long for a morning coffee. Wherever I travel, quick access to java is keen on my list of amenities. Room coffee and “Breakfast Included” black lightning leave much to the imagination.

There are places of activity that allow the introvert in me to flourish. Like sitting on the porch and watching the world go by, entertaining with no interaction. Kind of like moving the home screen to room-size and interactive.

I have done theme parks with kids and famous landscapes across the US and Canada. Crowds and long lines leave me exhausted and cranxious, that’s a cross between being cranky and anxious simultaneously. It’s age-related. Like having a hot flash in a soaring 90-degree sun blast and someone asks you to make one more decision.

Stay active.

While traveling, it’s important to stay active to maintain mobility and enjoy the trip to the fullest. Take walks around the destination, do light exercises in your hotel room, or sign up for a senior-friendly exercise class. Staying active can also help alleviate the symptoms of jet lag and keep you energized throughout your trip.

I enjoy being outside, so walks that include nature experiences are calming effects for a quick get-me-out-of-here escape. I like short lines at unusual restaurants and some fun shopping experiences to answer what should I do next. And I especially enjoy a relaxing walk back to the hotel after a grotesquely extravagant meal of multiple flavors where I taste test just to experience the spices and textures.

Staying active also means staying cognizant of stamina and strength. Although I pride myself in regular exercise and flex stretching, trying decades-old moves without warming up can lead to disastrous muscle pain. The lesson here is if you have not gone horseback riding, surfing, or bowling in a long-long time, don’t be surprised the next day when you go to sit down and wonder how that pain happened.

Put it all together.

So, after researching and enjoying the four-day inaugural trip following two years of cabin fever, this is my report. I booked through Expedia to use air miles covering the entire flight and accommodation costs.

Less than a one-and-a-half-hour flight took me to Orlando. Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort is a short rideshare from the airport. Asking nicely at the check-in yielded immediate room access. Within two hours of landing, I was in a darkened room, meditating to freshen my mind for three full days of wonderment.

This hotel is not on the Universal grounds, yet there is a center of activity near one entrance, including great restaurants and shops. There is an easy-level 20–30-minute walk from the hotel through manicured paths overflowing with myriad plants and flowers to reach the fun activities and live cable TV show.

The hotel boasts famous cars from Universal Studio’s early movies and a Fifties theme throughout. With two pools and loads of uncrowded sandy areas with lounge chairs for sunning, taking a few minutes each day near a lunch counter proved inviting.

The piece-de-resistance is the putter golf and bowling alley attached. Now comes the bowling story. I’m thinking “bowling?”. No problem. So I take a twelve-pound ball and crouch down to release it twenty times in a game. Yeah, one strike. I don’t want to talk about the rest. It had only been over a decade since I did that last time.

So, the next day, I woke up and my hips were sore. From there I remained stiff for over a week. The lesson here is just because you stay mobile for one activity does not mean it is transferable. Plan for new activities before you travel. Practice movements before you go to stave off discomfort on a breakaway.

By following these tips and planning ahead, seniors can navigate airports and find senior-friendly destinations with ease. With a little preparation and an adventurous spirit, traveling as a senior can be a fun and rewarding experience.

For more about making the life you desire, check out more here.

Escape Pretirement Become a Zoomer

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How I escaped pretirement to become a zoomer at heart began by implementing one of the first commandments recited as a 5-year-old in order to attend kindergarten, “Stop, Look, & Listen, before you cross the street.”

Now, to stop has not been one of my strong suits. I am more often, ready, fire, aim.

Rather than enshrining myself with some label, I accept and encourage my tendency to be easily distracted by shiny objects arising in my field of vision. That has always been my source of wonderment for what might lie just around the next bend in the road. Perhaps it’s part of why some folks don’t care what is on TV, they just want to know what else is on TV.

Rather than stop, however, the best I can do is slow down. A productive way for me to slow down is to go for a long drive down some back-country roads while I think. I always feel I am accomplishing something while I am conjugating life. Rolling past fields and woods with little traffic while I think releases some creative potential otherwise not seen by sitting in quiet contemplation. This eyes-wide-open meditative state while taking in scenery has led to many aha insight moments that simply astonish me as to their source.

So, before I stepped off to cross the street in this pretirement journey, I drove and thought for hours and hours. I recorded unabashed thoughts on my cell phone and transcribed them. It became a formidable collection of thought snippets, scribbled napkins notes, quotes from books, messages from friends, and at least a gazillion favorite webpages carefully stashed by topic. Add to that, hundreds of created word documents with poignant titles sorted simply by month and year as well as copious journal posts, blogs, letters to myself and messages to friends. Other writers have confided to me that they too cast a cacophony of notes on a wall and then search for some melody of meaning.

The desired outcome was to arrive at a destination with a cadre of recorded history that would outline just how I had gotten to this point in my adventure. I wanted to look back to determine what goal and activity had led to my success that would benefit other baby boomers determined to reroute their potential.

My goal, in the beginning, was to simply look and listen. To look and listen to how I had gotten to this crossroad in my life. Endorsing that my past was merely a part of where I’m headed, while extracting the good and the bad, knowing that it took both to create the journey thus far. The subsequent goal was to then attempt to predict the best direction forward, making this part of the journey the best adventure of my life to date.

Looking back with 20/20 vision, I can now confidently say I have reached a condition in my life that I consider the best I have ever experienced or even imagined.  That comes with some weight because the result I have today is, to a large extent, the payback from the work in applying three words that have formulated much of my life; Clarity, Focus and Concentration.

Initially finding clarity meant deciding what I wanted the next stage of my life to look like. It meant answering the question “what if”. What if the future could start with a clean slate? What if small steps could take me to a destination I had only dreamed of?

I knew for sure I would never find out if I didn’t try. My initial onslaught to a new beginning required taking a break from the daily habits that keep us numb to change. To move forward demands we answer the question, who are you and what do you want?

Have you knowingly stepped off in a totally new direction that required you to identify some part of your potential and then redirect your focus?

Brian Tracy Interview Outtake 1

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I was introduced to public speaker, author, business and personal development expert  Brian Tracy in 1986. Since then Brian has published some eighty-four books and numerous business courses that have been translated into many languages around the world.

Brian and I sat down in the Boomer to Zoomer studio recently to discuss three broad topics of interest to baby boomers; What Brought You Here? What’s Here Like? Where Are You Going? This is an outtake from that interview that covered such questions as; What part of your youth are you proud of? What would you go back to change? How has resistance been an asset to a lifetime of development?

Leave a comment on how Brian Tracy’s insights have impacted your thinking and any questions you have as a baby boomer wanting to move forward and take new directions in life after normal retirement age, what many are calling “pretirement”.

Job Hunting for Young Adults – Five Hacks to Make the Most Money.

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Job Hunting for Young Adults

Five hacks to make the most money.

Using:

Kindergarten Circles and Third-grade Math.

I want to talk to you about the most important job you will ever have in your life, You Inc.

  • How many of you think you work for yourself? Either you will work for your goals, or you will work for somebody else’s goals.
  • How many of you think you are in sales? How many want to drive your parent’s car? How many of you want your own car? How many want to stay out later than your parents allow? How many have ever asked for a date? Then you are in sales. Sales is the transfer of your belief in yourself to someone else.
  • By working for You Inc, you are the product. You are the president. You decide on the business plan for your success. You decide on the job description. You decide on the bonuses.

I want you to treat goal achievement like your most important job in your life and take it seriously.

The reason I know that these will help you earn more income and have a happier supervisor or boss is because I had to learn these hacks on my own in high school and used them to reach my goals. I was forced to develop these because I started in the half of the class that made the top half possible. Even if you are not now, you can still finish high school in the top 10% by applying these simple techniques and hacks.

Dreams without goals are simply wishes. It is the burning desire that changes a wish into a goal. As a teenager, I didn’t want to be in a classroom. I wanted practical knowledge that would earn money. Money meant freedom to me. Freedom meant that I could come and go as I pleased. It meant owning a car. It meant I did not have to ask my parents for money.

In my junior and senior year, I finished school each day at noon. I owned my car. I always had money in my pocket. I always had gas money to take my friends places in my car, so we could play see and be seen. I worked nights in a hospital that gave me three credits each year towards graduation and I got paid for it. You see, that was my dream and I achieved it through setting goals and developing the hacks to make my goals materialize.

Goals

Webster says a goal is: “the end result toward which effort is directed”

Most people have three top goals:

  1. Health goal – not to run longer, sleep less, but to look better, feel better, be lighter, have bigger muscles, to not have skin problems and to look good in clothes.
  2. Money goal – Most young adults want to earn enough to buy a car, have a new phone or a fashion watch, cool shoes, cool hair, money to flash on a date. I wanted to live on my own, without my parents, brothers and sisters.
  3. Relationship goal – Is your goal to have; a girlfriend, boyfriend, any friend, respect from others, your parents to express that they love you? Most teenagers often just wish someone would love them.

Action Circle

Keep goal achievement as simple as possible. It starts with drawing a kindergarten circle.

Action Circle: GAREW

Why are you doing what you want to do?

What are your Goals to reach your why?

What Action steps are you going to take?

What are the Results from your Actions?

Evaluate your Results to achieve your Why

To begin the process, break into the circle at the Why. What do you want tomorrow to look like when you wake up? What does your bedroom look like? Your bathroom? Your kitchen? Your car? Your house? Your yard? Your office? Your bank accounts? What are you wearing? Who are your friends? Your spouse?

The Trilogy of goal success.

Brian Tracy, best-selling author when it comes to goal achievement repeatedly writes that the trilogy of goal success is found in Clarity, Focus, and Concentration.

Here is why.

  • You must take responsibility to make your own goals. No one knows enough about you to decide other than you. Only you can be clear on what you want.
  • Remember the importance of words. Words are concepts. Clarity of concepts provides clarity of words. Words provide the clarity for focus and concentration.
  • Clarity provides measurable results. What gets measured gets done and improved.
  • Clarity helps you decide which of the 50,000 thoughts per day that go through your mind are the important ones.
  • You have only so many attention units or bandwidth with which to deal with daily events. Clarity reduces stress of not knowing what to do next.
  • Taking responsibility gives you focus on what needs to be done each day. You are the president of your own company: You Inc. The buck stops at you. You may hire yourself out to the highest bidder. If you want to earn more income, make yourself more valuable by offering better service. Learn more, learn faster, and make a lot of money.
  • Once you have clarity and focus, concentrate on the next thing that needs to be done today and do not do anything else until that is complete. Either you achieve your own goals or you work for someone who has you achieving their goals.

The measurement of success is how well prepared to win you are, not your desire to win.

  1. Clear goals give you focus

Applying effort to an unclear goal is like aiming an arrow with your eyes closed. Even if you are prepared and apply the best effort the chances of hitting your target are very low if you do not have a clear target. It becomes pointless and uses up attention units for no results. You can have all the potential required and still end up frustrated.

  1. Clear goals are measurable

Happiness is the progressive realization of a worthwhile goal. To determine success, we need to measure the progress. How far away is the goal? How close are we to completion? Some goals are measured in dollars, some in time, some in a level of contentment. A journey of a thousand miles in twenty hours means going fifty miles an hour. Each hour means we are getting closer. If you had no watch or speedometer, you would have no idea if you had time to stop for fuel or food. So rather than panicking every minute, measure the time and distance to be prepared for all the things that life can throw at you to distract and disrupt your accomplishment. Having a measurement gives you options and choices.

3.Clear goals avoid distractions

It is called the shiny object syndrome. Have you ever seen a fishing show where they film the fish looking at a lure and about to strike when suddenly the fish is presented with another lure just slightly off in another direction? What happens is this fish stops and become indecisive. It does not know which one to go after. I once had an Army supervisor give me instructions on what he needed to have done. Shortly after I started, he returned to say stop working on that project and start working on this project, so I did. Several minutes later he came back in and gave instructions to work on a third project. I simply put down all the projects and waited. It wasn’t long before he returned with the newest instructions. He realized he had sown confusion and said, wait until I get clear directions and then I will be able to give you clear instructions. Once the goal was clarified, I could apply focus and concentration to complete the assignment in record time. Like the fish, my mind could not complete the tasks until it was clear from distractions of all the other things that could be done but were not the most important. Setting clear goals with focus gives you mental boundaries.

  1. Clear goals motivates to get started now

When you look at two tasks, your mind will automatically be attracted to the one that looks easiest. When all the ducks are in a row it takes less effort to start. Less effort means easier to get started, which means less procrastination. So, the task for the goal that is clear and in focus, will get started sooner. Clear goals defeat procrastination. Goals need to have a daily “most important think”. In other words, what you think about gets done. When you have a daily “MIT”, it is more enjoyable and you finish faster, and, have a better feeling for your accomplishment. Each accomplishment builds higher self-esteem and leads to more tasks being completed in a day. Use the affirmation: What’s the best use of my time, right now?

  1. Clear goals supply the force for motivation

All goals need to be tied to reasons. Without a reason, you are in for a season, some say. The results of your action on a goal need to be measured against the reason, or objective, or value that you want to achieve. A game needs a goal post. That post in life are the values you hold most dear to your mind and heart. The reason provides the motivation. It is the discipline that takes the effort.

Hack Exercises:

  1. What do you want? Exercise for students. What do you want? What do you really, really, want?
  • Write down every single idea you have, no matter how big or small.
  • Always carry a notebook.
  • Find a list method that works for you. Doodles, bullet-points, charts, send yourself a text or email, record your thoughts, what suits you best?
  1. Make a list of small, manageable tasks to complete every day
  • Mark off every completed task you’ll find making each tick very satisfying – The feel-good dopamine hormone is released every time you complete a task and check it off your list. Make it a habit of creating and checking off items on a list.
  • Make your goals measurable so you know if your plans are working
  • Set far off, outlandish goals. What do you want to have achieved by 2020? How about 2050?
  • Include personal goals in your lists, not just business or career
  • Share your goals only with others who can aid in your achievement. You can help inspire each other further. Do not share with those who ridicule or discount your goals. You have enough negative thoughts in your own head. You do not need any help criticizing your ambitions.
  • Find positive role models – peers-plus. Find those who have done what you want to do and learn from their steps.
  1. Take Action!
  • Any action! You just need an idea to act upon. A journey starts with a single step.
  • Are you moving in the direction of your goal, or the opposite direction?
  1. Measure results
  • Celebrate your successes then make new lists of new goals as you measure against what you wanted.
  • Continue your education. Learn from what did not go the way you expected. Try another direction, rather than give up. Remember; goals in concrete, plans in sand.
  1. Set new goals
  • What do you want to see from this job; training, advancement, stepping stone, leadership?
  • Ask your boss for input as to how to provide the best service to them and the company, that is in alignment with your goals? Give them a report of what you have accomplished each week and ask for help in areas you think need improvement.
  • Make sure all goals aline with your values and ideals.

If you have questions, leave a comment. I will respond.

Pretirement – Is it Real?

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Baby boomers take pretirement by storm. Is it real?

Since 2011 10,000 baby boomers have turned sixty-five every day. This has caused the landscape of our social fabric to change dramatically. It is becoming increasingly clear that boomers do not want to act their age. They may not know exactly what they do want, but what they don’t want, is to be called “old” or “senior”, or even “retired”. Terms like, “reinventing” “second act” are being heralded as descriptions of the activities that baby boomers use to spend their time.

Pretirement seems like a better term to describe this period between when adults stop contributing to their retirement plans through deductions and yet have not started to draw down on their savings on a regular basis. This is a new state of adult life that marks the transition from a profitable occupation to a profitable avocation.

Many economists and financial planners see pretirement as a conflict that must be surmounted.  Pretirement to them means:

  • The act of planning for early retirement and
  • Planning to avoid probate
  • Planning for long-term care
  • Making sure your money lasts as long as you do

Ok, then what? Let’s face it, financial planning should not take more than a few hours out of each year to stay up to date.

Others are looking more at the social implications of the pretirement years and how a new mosaic of priorities and time management emerge. In all of these, rethinking is a common requirement.

Pretirees are really saying, hell no, this is not another time in my life that I am must drudge through to get to retirement. I don’t want to surmount this. I want to actively enjoy this.

They see pretirement as a period when the kids are, mostly, on their own – man is the only animal that lets the young back in the nest. They have done the twelve-hour work day when you include transit time and dealing with kid’s activities. For too long, they have sacrificed for others. It is finally their time. Once the kids are out of the house, they are ready to enjoy life again. it’s like when the last family dog or cat goes to animal heaven and you decide, I have picked up enough poop and changed enough kitty litter for one life.  Many boomers just don’t want to be home by a certain time anymore to look after pets. They want to enjoy their new-found freedoms.

Pretirement is the time to move past the reflection of what have I accomplished, and on to where can I make the biggest difference with my talents, and expand my horizons of creative life and lifestyle.

The sheer number of baby boomer pretirees transitioning into the next state of existence has led to an entirely new financial economy with tremendous entrepreneurial requirements, the “longevity economy”.  Many of this newly defined cohort are actively looking to expand their contribution to society as well as exploit their wisdom to work for themselves. Pretirement is a time for a second career for many of those leaving the workforce, with one-third of new businesses being started by those over the age of fifty, per the research by the Kaufman Foundation.

The advantages that the current pretirees, the baby boomers, bring to the table to start a business career after leaving an employment career are multi-faceted Including confidence, experience, wisdom, financial security, basic business acumen, clear goals, and the ability to work with others, just to name a few.

One thing is for certain. The pretirement baby boomers are itching for new input on many intellectual fronts. They are staying curious and looking for answers to problems they see in the world. They want information and they want to learn. They see their next 20-30 years as a great adventure and they want to participate to the fullest.

If you are in that cohort of baby boomers who are creating a new beginning, we want to know what has driven you to begin again? What has inspired you? Where, and how, have you gotten new skills that you needed to create your new raison d’etre? Not only do others need to hear your story, others will be inspired by your challenges and successes. Remember, leave the woodpile higher than the way you found it.

James Wm Frank Press Release

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There are steps and a system to begin again. I started running on a track ten months ago to take me from the point of looking for an idea, linked to my values and life goals, to being recently inducted into the National Academy of Best-Selling Authors. This was not luck. These same steps can be learned by anyone. Allow me to show you how to sort through all the bombardment of research traffic and get the most out of your efforts in the shortest period of time. This result brings to fruition three ninety day adventures, each different from the last and each one bringing greater clarity of purpose, and wisdom from experience.

Three Press Releases from the Best-Selling Book – Success Manifesto

Press Newsroom

PR Buzz

Pitch Engine

 

Listen to me when I’m talking to you!

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We all know that little voice inside our heads that talks to us.  My mom used to tell me it was alright to talk to yourself, as long as you don’t catch yourself going, Huh?

That little voice can be our friend or our foe. We either send uplifting messages to our subconscious to carry out actions, or we send self-limiting messages that stunt our progress toward rewarding achievement.

We all know that voice that says, don’t get too excited, what makes you think you can do that, and I sure messed that up. However, how often do you catch yourself saying; let’s celebrate this win, or I knew I could do that, and the past is merely part of where I’m going?

What if you had a robot assistant that followed you around all day and repeatedly praised your efforts and encouraged your achievements? How about if they only told you things that you programmed them to say, positive, present tense affirmations that left you feeling confident, competent, and content? And while they are at it, how about they remind you of your goals in all major areas of life; health, family, career, self and wealth?

This programmable robot already exists, your brain. It follows the commands you give it. It repeats back to you all the messages that it hears you saying to yourself, both negative and positive. When you tell yourself you cannot do something, your brain blocks out all the possible breakthroughs that could enter your awareness and lead you to the accomplishment you really want. Conversely, when you set about bringing a vision into reality, your brain will automatically, through your reticular activating system, bring into your awareness all the knowledge and connections you need to literally manifest into existence an idea that you have conceived.

I have talked to myself my entire life. So have you. For over half a century, I have practiced speaking to myself in a more caring, encouraging, goal oriented fashion than what I exhibited as a child. It’s the sign of a superior leader of self and others to be able to speak to yourself about what you want instead of what you don’t want.

The following is a list of personal affirmations that I have acquired over many years from countless business and personal development experts.

I record, and re-record every year or so. I keep them on my smart phone and listen to them while driving, when unable to get to sleep, first thing in the morning, or when discouragement of any kind tries to influence my well-being.  I created one for my daughter so she could have her father’s voice telling her how proud I am of her.  Imagine having your parent’s voice encouraging you at every turn in life.

Wayne Dyer starts his affirmations with this introduction to himself;

 I am using these moments to review what I intend to manifest into my life. I attract only to myself those who are in alignment with my highest ideals of myself.

Health & Happiness

I am a dreamer!

I am powerful beyond measure!

I am responsible!

I have an abundance of energy!

I attract energy into my life!

I intend to feel good!

I eat only foods that nourish and build my body!

My metabolism is increasing every day!

I live stress-free!

I have joy and happiness in my life!

Something really wonderfully exciting is going to happen today!

Self-Determination – Goals, Business

I am responsible!

I can set goals!

I am committed to my goals!

I visualize my goals as complete each day!

I do everything I need to do to achieve my goals!

I schedule events to accomplish goals!

I have no limits!

I am unstoppable!

I get things done!  Especially today!

I have faith, courage and conviction!

I know I can do the things I need to do to succeed in business!

I form new habits that get me where I am going!

I improve myself in some way every day of my life!

I create the success habit of taking action, now!

I read, I listen, I learn, and I win!

I always seek the help I need to get the job done!

I motivate myself and I motivate others!

I attract loving allies in all areas of my life!

I attract positive cash flow!

I impact others in a positive manner!

I am an appreciator of people!

I am an encourager!

I build teams of positive allies!

I have made a major difference in many people’s lives!

I am a winner in training!

I enjoy the rewards of my work!

I love to celebrate my successes!

I have financial freedom!

I have both time and money!

I live the lifestyle I have always wanted to have!

Abundance flows to me and through me to help others!

I educate people and align resources every day!

I choose to feel on top of the world, right now!

Something really wonderfully exciting is going to happen today!

Personal life

I am whole and perfect as I was created!

My life is full of abundance!

I connect with my source of creative and loving energy!

I am a totally loving person!

(My name), I am so proud of you!

I have a loving relationship with (My Family)!

I encourage and uplift (Names of Family)!

My thoughts are of love!

I let go of anger quickly and completely!

I forgive all those who threaten my peace!

I release all resentment and blame!

I easily let go of all resentment and blame!

I am a winner over my past!

I bring love to the presence of anger and hatred!

I attract only peace and peaceful people into my life!

I am loved because I love!

I respect myself at all times!
I belong! I really belong!

I love myself!

I feel terrific!

Something really wonderfully exciting is going to happen today!

I am!

I am financially abundant

I am secure

I am at peace

I am healthy

I am joyful

I am focused

I am creative

I am good

I am strong

I am inspiration

I am health

I am content

I am safe

I am real

I am awesome

I am flourishing

I am brilliant

I am proud

I am love

I am change

I am fun

I am divine

I am positive

I am whole

I am complete

I feel terrific

I feel powerful

I feel loving

I feel cheerful

I feel satisfied

I feel happy

I feel the moment

I feel energized

I feel prosperous

I love myself

I am incredible

I feel incredible

I feel balanced

I feel content

I feel wealthy

I earn a million dollars plus a year

I am open to everything

I am a miracle in happening

I am powerful beyond measure

I am powerful beyond measure

I am powerful beyond measure

Take action: Write out as many of these as resonate with your values and read them 100 times over the next month. Record those that still resonate with you on your phone and play back to yourself 100 times over the next month. I guarantee that you will notice a huge difference in your self-esteem, attitude, and ability to accomplish more steps in reaching your goals faster.