QUICK READ – I PROMISE!
I recently learned that the average attention span for reading something in print is about 10–15 minutes. The average attention span for something digital? Forty-seven seconds. Yes, 47 seconds.
In fact, if you're reading this online, there's a decent chance you've already checked your email, glanced at a text message, wondered what you should have for dinner, and forgotten why you opened this article in the first place.
Since The Observer is available both in print and online, I've decided to dedicate this month's column to my digital readers. And because most of us—whether we're still working or not—are looking for our own version of Happily Ever After, I've condensed this month's wisdom into a quick-read format.
SEVEN SIMPLE THINGS THAT NO ONE TELLS
YOU ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY TOWARDS
“HAPPILY EVER AFTER”
Simply put:
1 – Success for most things only comes when you have a PLAN.
Remember when you were going to that conference, forgot to put the address in the GPS so decided to ‘wing it’? You cursed a lot and had to pull over to figure out how to get to where you needed to go. You missed the introductions and ended up sitting with people you didn’t like.
2 – Leaving full-time work is one of life's most stressful transitions. There are 10, and it’s #9 - right up there with divorce, health issues, and incarceration! You can reduce the stress. How? By having a PLAN.
3 – Retirement is not the Finish Line. It’s not crossing the tape and hearing cheering crowds. It's more like you’ve just read your emails and had your coffee, and then find yourself asking, "Okay, now what?" Figuring it out takes work.
4 – PLANNING will help you avoid the Dark Side –because there really is a Dark Side. Overdosing on TV streaming, deciding AI is your best friend, and wasting away in Margaritaville, looking for your lost shaker of salt. Oh, and usually everything makes you grouchy.
5 – "I'll figure it out when I get there" is not a strategy. The best time to think about what interests you, excites you, and gives you purpose is before you have endless free time.
6 –You’ll lose routine and connection when you leave full-time work. Work provides structure, social interaction, and a reason to put on real pants. A good PLAN replaces those things so you can enjoy your freedom instead of wondering what day it is.
7- What you think might be, just might not be. Your family loves you, but they have jobs, children, schedules, and lives. Air travel sounds glamorous until you realize your carry-on is way too heavy, your gate is a 15-minute walk away, and don’t get me started on the delays. So, having a PLAN can help avoid disappointment.
I love how Brene Brown put it:
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When you write your own story
You get to choose the ending!
BTW, if you are still reading this, Congratulations! Your attention span is officially above average.
Loretta