Do You Have a Vision That Inspires You?
Having a vision is a powerful tool for achieving great things in life and for guiding how you spend your time in retirement.
You may remember that moment back in July 1969 when Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon and said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” The grainy images beamed back from the moon are etched in the memory of folks of that generation who witnessed it live.
You could say the vision for landing on the moon began on September 12, 1962, when President Kennedy gave a speech at Rice University. The president laid out a vision to become the world’s leading explorer of space on that hot day in Texas.
In his memorable language, the president said, “We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade…not because {it is} easy, but because {it is} hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.”
President Kennedy's Vision Speech at Rice University
Over the next seven years, the vision President Kennedy laid out for being the first country to put a man on the moon galvanized the nation. And although Kennedy did not live to see his vision fulfilled, the U.S. rose to the challenge and put the Apollo 11 astronauts on the moon in July 1969, five months ahead of Kennedy’s deadline.
Interestingly, a few days after Armstrong stepped foot on the moon, a computer researcher by the name of Charles Garfield sat down at his desk at mission control and noticed that the buzz and the energy level of the room had gone flat. The excitement and enthusiasm of the previous weeks leading up to the launch had disappeared.
Not sure what to make of it, Garfield turned to his boss and asked him what had happened. His astute boss took him outside and pointed up to the faint moon in the morning sky and said, “we don’t have that to inspire us anymore.”
Just like President Kennedy’s vision drove the people at NASA, you should have a vision for retirement that inspires you and keeps you energized.
One way to develop your vision is to sit down in a quiet place with no distractions and simply start writing. Write down some ideas on what your ideal life looks like. Where are you living? Who are you spending your time with? What are you doing to stay engaged? What gets you out of bed in the morning? What gives you energy?
After you’ve written a lot of notes, try to shape your thoughts into a short narrative. This narrative becomes your “compelling vision” and should excite you as you read it. You could even put this narrative on a PowerPoint slide, add some pictures that are meaningful to you, and read it on a regular basis to remind you of what your ideal life looks like.
I’ve seen the power of having a vision work in my life and in the life of many of my clients and colleagues. I encourage you to spend some time developing and refining your vision for a compelling retirement.
Give Us a Call
If you have any questions or want some additional help in developing your vision, please let me know. Managing your investments is an honor and a privilege. Helping you shape your vision for a meaningful life is priceless.
Please give our office a call at (913) 624-1841 or send me an email at bkeen@keenwealthadvisors.com. We are here to help you.
About Bill
Bill Keen is a CHARTERED RETIREMENT PLANNING COUNSELOR℠ and independent financial advisor with more than 25 years of industry experience. As the founder and CEO of Keen Wealth Advisors, a registered investment advisory firm, he specializes in providing personalized retirement planning designed to help people thrive before and during their retirement years. With a passion for educating others, Bill regularly blogs about retirement planning, hosts the podcast Keen on Retirement, and has contributed to U.S. News and World Report, Reuters, Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch, Yahoo Finance, and other publications. Based in Overland Park, Kansas, Bill and his team work with clients throughout the greater Kansas City area and across the nation. To learn more, connect with him on LinkedIn or visit www.keenwealthadvisors.com.
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