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Remember Aunt Bee on The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D.? How old do you think Aunt Bee was when she started on the show? She was just 58! I’ll bet you guessed older than that, right?
You’ve probably heard that 60 is the new 40, and I agree. Most women today are taking much better care of themselves. Many are more active and most plan to stay engaged in some form of work during their entire lifetime.
Over the last 30 years, I have worked with hundreds of couples and individuals helping them design the perfect retirement plan — personally, professionally, and financially. Here is the secret to a successful retirement. It must incorporate three parts: Health, Wealth, and Happiness. This is true prosperity. You really want all three. If any of them are missing, you’ll be in trouble.
I remember, 10 years ago, when I was raising my daughters and working full time. I did not make time for myself, and it cost me my health and was part of the reason I retired at 47. Today, nearly 13 years later, I have reinvented midlife – and health comes first. I am healthier and more active today than I was then … and I am certainly happier and wealthier.
Last week, I was talking to a dear friend of mine who is also a financial advisor, and because she too has been in the industry for almost 30 years now, her clients are aging. During our conversation, she shared with me that she was so depressed because she had seen three different clients the day before, and two of them had cried during the meeting because even though they had all this money, they could no longer enjoy it because of their failing health. The other was distressed because she too had all this money but no one to enjoy it with.
So my suggestion is at midlife, self-care comes first. My personal trainer says that you can improve your health and strength up until the time you are 70. but after that, you can only maintain. So his suggestion is to start taking care of yourself and become your best today. Then you can take your 70s into your 90s.
Ernestine Shepherd is a great example of this. She was out of shape at 57 and began to work out. Now at 82, she is a personal trainer, model, and competitive body builder who is happier and more fulfilled than she’s ever been in her life. She’s actually in the Guinness World Record as Oldest Female Body Builder.
Of course you don’t need to be a body builder to be healthy, but when planning out your goals for your life, I like to prioritize this way: Self, Family and Friends and then Work or Money.
Exercise:
Envision your ideal life three years from now? What would have to be happening for you to be happy, healthy and wealthy — meaning you have more than enough? What would your life look like? Now click this link and print out my Perfect Life Vision Worksheet and write out what would be happening in your life for it to be perfect. You can also do this exercise as part of a 10 part series with audio, video and worksheets in my free course, Unlock Your Financial Power. This way you can do the worksheet or take the course. Here is an example:
Step 1: Your Mind, Body and Spirit (all about YOU) • I am riding my bike daily in nature and feel fantastic. • Healthy food tastes delicious and my body is strong and lean. • I have a daily mindfulness practice and feel at peace. • I get lots of sleep and look 10 years younger than my age.
Step 2: Family, Friends and Fun (with others) • I travel several times a year to amazing places with interesting friends. • I have season tickets to the opera and symphony. • My daughters and I have an amazing time together and they are doing so great! • My sex life is awesome (thank you, Dr. Keesha!), and I’ve been married 34 years now.
Step 3: Money, Career and Legacy • We have more than enough, and I feel safe and secure about the future. • I wake up every day in a state of joy knowing I am making a difference while having the time of my life doing what I love. • I am a NYT #1 bestselling author. • Money flows to me effortlessly in expected and unexpected ways.
After creating your own Perfect Life Vision be sure to print it out. You can make a vision board, read it daily, meditate on it. But keep it where you can see it. This is a great exercise that helps me stay focused on what’s important in my life. You may have noticed that you put yourself first on this list, so remember at Midlife – self-care comes first!
If you want to talk with Katana about Reinventing Midlife and taking your dreams, life and finances to the next level, then book a complimentary session here: talkwithkatana.com
Originally posted on katanaabbott.com
Katana Abbott, CFP® practitioner, is a Life and Legacy Coach™, host of the Smart Women Talk Radio™, founder of the Smart Women Companies with over 1 million subscribers globally, inspirational speaker and author of several books.
She began her financial planning career in 1987 and became a Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner. In 2003, Katana created Smart Women’s Coaching® to offer financial coaching and educational workshops for women in transition who are dealing with caregiving, death of a loved one, divorce, retirement or looking to create or grow a business. She founded Smart Women’s Empowerment in 2008 to bring free financial empowerment resources and programs to women around the world through her team of Contributing Experts. www.katanaabbott.com