It’s the beginning of a new year and I’m imagining what I want to create this year. My imagination seems dull, less exciting than I remember it being when I was young.
They define the term imaginable as capable of being imagined or conceived. With decades of living in front of me, I’m sure I haven’t done everything I could imagine doing or creating.
In some ways, I don’t think of myself as too old to do anything. When I think about making my writing and my thoughts more public, it’s hard to imagine what that will feel like.
I have such a wealth of experience for things I’ve done before and those accomplishments hold me back.
There’s an ongoing conflict between the view of life at this age as being one of rest and relaxation, battling against the thought that I can still create something new. I can still find more ways to put value out into the world.
I don’t believe we ever get too old to create value. I believe creating value differs from the idea of being productive in our lives.
Over our lifetime, our definition of productivity results from the intermingling of two foundational concepts in our culture. First, there is the Puritan work ethic teaching us to stay busy all the time.
I think of introducing this concept in our young psyches is the beginning of our imaginations shutting down. We don’t look busy when we’re using our brains to imagine new ideas or creations.
The second is the capitalistic idea that the things we’re busy with have to contribute to the overall productivity of the country. Again, much of what we do in our work a day world is just repeating a pattern.
Repeating the same actions over and over dulls the imagination besides getting you what you’ve always gotten before.
Leaving the work a day world, your career, offers the opportunity to re-imagine your life.
What are your thoughts about re-imagining your life? Are you in the perpetual vacation camp?
The freedom that comes with retirement is amazing. Figuring out what to do with the freedom can be challenging. Recognizing that those of us in relatively good health will probably live another thirty years adds to the challenge.
There are more and more individuals hitting the century mark than ever before. What’s your reaction when you consider that possibility?
Despite what we’ve all been told, retirement doesn’t mark the end of your desire as a human to contribute to something bigger than yourself. This is your opportunity to imagine your future without constraints.
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” Eleanor Roosevelt
Age is not a constraint worth considering in most instances.
You could claim an imagination that’s been inactive for so long is a constraint, however, it is one you can mediate with intention.
Take out your journal or a piece of plain paper. Start by writing all the things you ever wanted to be or do. Keep the page close to you for a week and add to it as new things come to mind.
Some of you will have dozens of things, others may only have a few. Regardless, the exercise starts to re-ignite your imagination.
At this stage, most of us have fewer responsibilities and more time. Contrary to popular culture, many of us still have achievements we want to master.
There’s a lot of science behind the idea that we need purpose and accomplishment throughout our lives in order to flourish.
What does it mean for you to flourish? Flourish is often a term we apply to our gardens — thriving is another word. Are you still up for the challenge it might present?
What does it look like to flourish through the next 10 years? Use your imagination to conceive what a day in your life ten years hence will be like.
If you’re so inclined, draw a picture of your life ten years in the future.
The picture of your future would include where you’re living and who you live with, who your friends are, how you spend your days, and your physicality. Imagine what you will have learned that you don’t know or know about today. Imagine what new skills you’ve developed.
Your future doesn’t have to look like your past or like everyone else’s, or like your parents’ life at the age you’ll be.
As you’re imagining your future at this stage, the need to be reasonable diminishes, the need to please someone else diminishes, and you are the only adult in the room who matters — this time it really is your life.
Ten years hence, I imagine being a consistent writer and a coach sought by women who are ready to explore the possibilities ahead of them as they transform into being the person in their imagination.
