I’ve discovered I’m a future focused person. And I’m becoming more aware many retired people I meet don’t have a future in mind.

I’m not sure I’ve lived up to my potential or even created my most valuable contribution. How about you?

I realize the model society has given us suggests that our best years are behind us once we retire.

What are you talking about?

As you look back on all the conversations you’ve had over the last week, what was the primary topic? Were you talking about things you’ve done in the past? Were you talking about what’s going on in someone else’s life — your children or your grandchildren, perhaps?

I try to maintain a focus on the current moment or what I want in my future. Being excited about what’s presently happening has been challenging over the last few years. For most of us, it seems the present is getting a little better day by day.

I’m meeting more people face-to-face. I’m reaching out a bit to make new friends and new contacts.

I also imagine my future. I look at the future as being in two parts. The obvious part, dying, is where too many of us focus too much. I accept the odds are my death is closer today than my birth. That’s about the extent of my thoughts on that part of the future.

The second part of my future is the time, likely decades, I have left to make a difference and create value for my fellow humans. That being said, I also have more freedom and more control at this point to make those things happen.

As part of my future self, I imagine working to keep my body and mind in tiptop shape. I’ve talked before about making exercise an important part of my day. I imaging a trim, strong and fit body in the future.

Like minded new friends

I imagine finding more and more people of a certain age who believe, like I do, that we still have the potential to make a difference, to create new value worth compensation. I imagine being pulled forward and challenged by this tribe of like-minded folks.

I imagine inspiring my grown children to think about their own longevity before the point I started noticing the opportunities I have living to become a centenarian.

I imagine learning from my grandchildren as they create a much different career, family and life trajectory because the odds are even higher for them to become centenarians.

I imagine learning new skills so I can create results the world will value without sacrificing all my time and energy. At this point, I am the captain of my ship and I set the course and the speed.

As I share what I see in my future, what are you imagining for your future? What did you imagine in the past that you may have abandoned? Are any of the callings you’ve abandoned still of interest to you? When you write it down and put it in a sentence, what do you hear yourself say?

While I’ve gotten over thinking, I’m too old to do anything I can imagine, or too old to create value worthy of compensation, I have other thoughts that get in my way.

For example, if you loved music as a teen and had fantasies of being a recognized DJ and you still love music, what thoughts impede setting out to be a DJ today? What thoughts do you have about pursuing a dream you’ve abandoned?

Take out a piece of paper. I encourage you to write about why your dreams are no longer a part of your future. I expect your reasons to differ from what they were earlier. At this stage, you can also look forward to this future with a greater sense of abundance, possibility, and imagination.

Listen to what’s on your mind

I encourage you to take some time every day and write about what’s on your mind. Give yourself the treat of listening to what your mind has to say. Take fifteen or thirty minutes every morning to write about what would make today a great day. Start by looking just one day into the future. Write about the aspects of your day that are within your control.

For those who don’t write, take out your phone and record yourself talking about what you have on your mind. After a 15 or 30 minute monologue, play back what you’ve recorded.

We can’t control the weather so don’t describe your day as one with sunshine if the weather forecast is gloomy and rainy.

We can’t control other people in our lives. Don’t describe your day as if it depends on someone or something else.

If getting a call or text from your children or a friend would make your day and yet you know they rarely start contact, don’t wait for them. Don’t depend on them to make the call. Make your own good day and envision yourself reaching out to the contact.

As you think about your future day today, you don’t need to consider every moment. A few notable moments usually make a day good day. What are the moments you are going to make happen today?

As your future focused muscle gets stronger, try looking forward to the week ahead. Identify what will make the week ahead an enjoyable week. Keep in mind, your future no longer includes satisfying someone else’s wants if you’ve retired.

As you look towards the future, your brain may bring forth obstacles to get you to stay with what you know — the past.

You can’t change the past. Imagining a different past is a fool’s errand. Imagine what you want for your future and be willing to invest effort towards bringing it into reality.