1. Goal Setting For Later Years
Prepared October 3, 2005
Cynthia Crawford

2. Research Says Goals provide direction
Families that establish both short and long term goals are more likely to achieve what is important to them
Goal setters have better financial management

3. Goals for This Session Understand the importance of setting goals
Identify and write goals
Then I hope you will:
Discuss goals with supportive family members
Establish a network for reaching goals

4. Goal Areas in Life Mental Social Physical Family Financial
Professional
Community support
Mental - self esteem, some control
Social - interaction with others
Physical - health and physical well-being
Family – chances are there are people in your life that are really important to you.
Financial – resources in place that you need
Professional - job/career/education
Community support – getting help when needed, giving support to others. Volunteer work

5. Goals Over the Years New refrigerator Organize photos Play the piano
Help with young person’s education
Maximize investments
Time with children and grandchildren
Work on family history
Organize photos
Emergency fund
Protection against financial risks
Time for hobbies
Travel
Major purchases
Repairs
People have a variety of goals over the years. What is important to one person may not be important to another. It is likely that you have goals that aren’t listed here. This is just a list to jump start your thinking and goals…
Here are goals people have expressed in classes over the years…(review list)

6. Strategies for Success
Set short-term goals that build toward a long-term goal
Set goals out of reach, but not out of sight
Establish a reward or ceremony in advance
Set goals individually and as a family
Write them down and post them!
Calendar your goals

7. At the end of each day, plan for tomorrow
Don’t share goals with negative people
Don’t depend on others - do it yourself

8. Pull out the page labeled “As I think about my retirement”
Take a minute or two to fill in just the first two sections:
These are words I want to use to describe my retirement
These are words that I don’t
want to use to describe my retirement
Ask class members to share words that they want to be able to use –
Go back around quickly – words they DON”T want to use to describe retirement

9. In my retirement, these are things I want to:Do Be
Have
Contribute
What do I need to be doing now to make this happen?
As you start thinking about writing goals,
What do you want to do in retirement?
What do you want to be in retirement?
What do you want to have in retirement? “Have” can be both material and non material. For example, you may want to have a nice home, have a vehicle replaced every 5 years. You may also want to have joy in your heart or have a good night’s sleep most nights. Think of both material and non-material things.
What do you want to contribute in retirement? The first thing we often think of contributing is money. There’s much more though. Contributing time as a volunteer. Contributing a smile. Being a well informed voter in every election. Contributing an encouraging word to young people you meet.
Finally, start listing what you need to be doing now to make this happen. List at least 3 things. I certainly understand that you’ll want to come back to this page and work on it this week.

10. Congratulations! You have achieved something important by starting the process of capturing your retirement goals on paper.
Don’t underestimate how important what you have just done is for a more positive future!