Throughout our school days, we learn about the importance of setting goals and taking the necessary steps to achieve those goals. But then, somewhere along the line as adults, life happens and our goals often take a backseat to fussy babies, the 9-5 workday, and home repairs. Once things quiet down a bit, we may realize that the goals we had before don’t match our current situation; we are no longer the people we were mentally, emotionally, or physically. When we do take the time to reassess, we need to be flexible and modify goals because of the changes we’ve undergone over the years.
Read more about determining goals, putting a pin in a goal, seeking a coach, and more here.
Below are some goals that may inspire you:
“When I was younger, I spent a lot of time working with individual families as a birth doula and childbirth educator, and it was an amazing experience. I realized that I needed to find a way to help more families, so my goal now is to train as many people to do the work as birth doulas and childbirth educators, knowing that together we will reach many more families than I ever could alone. I have also taken on challenging policies within the government that are essentially anti-family.” — Robin Weiss, 51
“I’m still hoping to publish children’s picture books and keep improving my illustration skills.” — Amy Miller, 54
“My immediate and future goals are health- and home-related. I want to get my cholesterol levels within normal range through diet and exercise. I want to establish a minimalist lifestyle in my home through decluttering. I want to make my home accessible for myself. Why? I’ve recently had a taste of reality with a health scare. I’m not ok with a stroke at 63 and having to burden others with my care. I need to fix this. I plan on living as independent a lifestyle as possible with good planning, realistic lifestyle changes, and great friends.” — Phyllis Moss, 63
“My goals after retirement were pretty simple: 1) stay as healthy as possible; 2) stay as active as possible; and 3) spend time traveling and enjoying some other interests. I believe it’s important to keep active, otherwise we lose our love for living. I have seen enough people over the years who have retired and sat down to wait on death. I do not want to be that type of person.” — Doug Meister, 70
“My goals for this time of life have changed significantly from those I thought I would have at this age (study a foreign language, go back to piano, and try my hand at painting). I am a nurse who acquired her degree after age 50, and I have kept my license active. A dramatic change in my husband’s health has changed those priorities. My goals now are to keep up with changing medical technology as it applies to him. He is an amazing man who has earned the right to have the best kind of care, and I will try to provide it.” — Lynda Areheart, 84
By Carrie Vittitoe
P.S. Read how one man in his 50s is keeping up on his fitness goals.
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