I’m a firm believer in leaning into new skills or ideas. Slowly start to adopt them bit by bit until you arrive. Be consistent and persistent and you will get there eventually (wherever there is). But there is a time in the journey when you wonder if you’re making any progress at all. I’m finding myself at this point today. Am I going too slowly, and is there any progress at all in my retirement journey? Am I stuck?
What Is Progress?
WordPress measures my progress in views, followers and likes. If I use their definition of progress, then I am in fact stuck with little public interest in what I’m writing. Thank you to anyone who is reading this or has commented or liked one of my posts. You are a tiny but treasured group. As my friend alluded to in a one of her comments, I’m not doing this blog for advice. It’s more of a travel log of a journey into retirement. How do I measure my progress if that’s my goal?
Measuring Personal Growth
If I was working and I needed to assess my progress, I would look at the things that I have achieved on my list of goals. I would compare where I was with where I am now. I would look at how much I have consistently worked on these goals.* But retirement growth is different. It can take months or years to adapt and develop a new lifestyle. According to the 5 Emotional Stages Of Retirement**, I am right on track. I’ve finished the Honeymoon Stage and worked through the Now What Stage. I literally named my blog “And Now What.” Perhaps what I need most is time and to be kind to myself.
Travel Log Of Retirement
If this is a travel log, then today is a rest day. A day on the journey when I sit in a cafe and absorb all that is around me without rushing out to see the sights. Every long journey needs rest. It’s the story that I tell myself that matters. When I reframe my position as a purposeful rest and not a problematic “stuck,” I relax and smile.
Grab a coffee and listen to this inspiring talk as you contemplate the next steps in your retirement journey. I’m sipping my tea and considering the 3 secrets that Dr Barnett outlines.
*How to measure career success (click here)
** Retirement Stages according to The Second Wind Movement (click here)
Retired, and now what? 
I really dislike that little progress section on the stats page on WordPress because I don’t think that’s a genuine way to measure your progress. It’s so much more than stats. I’m glad you’re progressing and yes how we frame things in our minds makes a huge difference.
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Hi Caroline, keep your winter ‘tires’ on for awhile. Probably April is a good month to ‘retire’ again. ‘Retirement’ changes with the seasons, so no need to feel stuck.
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