Though it can seem impossible to do this I think a person should aim to fit their retirement plan onto 5 index cards. I buy the larger size which is around 5″ x 7″ and is lined. The white index cards are bright so should give us the motivation to record any kind of plan on them. Even a life goal not a retirement lifestyle.

I’m thinking of how we can win the game of capitalism as workers breaking our backs for our employer. Part of the relief lies in having outside hobbies while you’re working at a job.

Waiting until we retire to do new things we might find out we’re not in the best health then. I hope this doesn’t happen to any of us.

Yet keeping our goals in our head is the way to have something to look forward to. This is an act of resilience.

Even if it’s just a short-term goal like saving up money to attend Coachella. I wouldn’t go to Coachella however hey maybe you would.

Or maybe the goal is simply saving up to take ourselves out to dinner for our birthday.

With a little creativity we can figure out how to Make It Happen.

Though I must confess as I reach another birthday coming up I believe it’s OK if a goal you and I have doesn’t pan out.

Like round about when I was 56 or 57 and wanted to pick up skateboarding as a hobby. Since I loved to skate as a teenager. I didn’t do flips and tricks. I just rolled down the street happy as a free bird.

This didn’t happen even though it was a goal. So that’s when each of us says: “No shame in that. Life happens. Not everything is destined to be.”

Which is why there should be space on the index card and in our ordinary life where an impromptu urge to do something can be recorded and take place.

Sometimes leaving things open is the way to discover a new joy that you hadn’t expected.

Like the John Lennon quote: “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”

I think it can be overwhelming and discouraging to think you need a multi-item towering bucket listing things you want to do. Maybe you and I just want to get to Tuesday at a time in our lives when we’re facing a challenge.

I would say a one-to-three item bucket list is perfectly fine.

Coming up I’ll talk about one of my dear friend’s approaches to setting a goal. His method ties into finding out what you’d like to do that gives you joy.

In the end the Peer support guideline gets at the best guidepost:

We expect a better tomorrow in a realistic way.