Try this Retirement Attitude Makeover!

Dear Retiree: Could You Use an Attitude Makeover?

Retirement Attitude Makeover? Seriously?

 In our society of personal makeovers, we've seen people lose 100 pounds, get a nose job, and finally go after their dreams. But for many retirees, a change of your retired attitude alone can bring transformative life experiences. Right?

Changing how you approach daily retirement living might help you achieve a better lifestyle. I sincerely hope it does.

Even if you don't think you're in need of a total attitude makeover, check out some of the ideas below to discover positive approaches you can take to get the most out of your life. You only have one life!

Are you "Stuck" in a Bad Retirement Attitude?

If you find yourself feeling the same way about a variety of situations in life, maybe just maybe you're hanging on to the same old attitude. If you have a less-than-positive approach that dominates your life, it may be time for a makeover. 

Don't allow yourself to ride down the retirement road as the Grumpy Ole Man (or woman). It's not fair to your life, and not fair to those you come into contact with. Right? Life is way too short and far too precious for that attitude stuff.

Reflect on Your Feelings... Take time to think about how you feel most of the time. How would you describe your dominant attitude? Is it contentment, sluggishness, happiness, annoyance, satisfaction, resentment, peace, envy, joy, worry, inquisitiveness, or even anger?

Especially post-retirement, when we aren't busy working, retirees often become full of resentment, worry, and anger. If you've got these attitudes, please please continue on and do something about it.

Examine Your Retirement Attitude Type

Some attitudes are positive, optimistic and motivating. If you're lucky, you are blessed with a naturally positive dominant attitude. Woo Hoo! You are in command of your life. You're most likely already living the good retired life you deserve.  

But if you have a not so good retired attitude, please make the decision now to change how you think and feel.

Consider the following regarding these more challenging attitudes, and the ways in which they can detract from the quality of your life:

• Sluggish.  Are you a retired slug? If you have a sluggish attitude, you are simply plodding along in life, doing barely what is required to get by. You might have no interest in anything and watch television all day long. You likely have no energy and need to find a new lifestyle to gain your life back.

• Annoyed. If you are constantly annoyed with people and retired life in general, you probably don't feel satisfied with your life. Something is wrong. You are a Grumpy Ole retiree. When you're feeling annoyed, you judge others, who are unable to "do things right." Yeah, right in your eyes! As retirees, we hope to be more content in life, and less judgmental.

• Resentment. Being resentful means you are feeling troubled most of the time. When resentment is your dominant attitude, you feel challenged to find any positive events in your life or enjoy the ones that do occur. You might still carry your retirement feelings of loss, being pushed out of your job, bad management... but they have moved on, and you are still carrying it, and harming yourself physically and mentally.

• Envy. Feeling envious of others includes wanting what someone else has or feeling spiteful toward others. That's not a good feeling, please count your blessings instead. Gratitude works for many reasons. We all, despite what we think, have much to be grateful for...  we truly do. Forget what you read about what retirement is supposed to be, make it what you can do. 

• Worry. An attitude of worry and anxiety means you experience feelings that things are not quite okay. You consider many possible scenarios, with few of them leading to a good ending. The odd thing about worry is that most of your worries and potential issues, don't happen. 

• Anger. An angry attitude is exhausting if you have to deal with it on a day-to-day basis, whether it's your own attitude or someone else's. When this attitude is dominant, usually there is a general sense of unhappiness. Family and friends will start to move away, keeping their distance... not a great retired life without support.

Make Over Your Retirement Attitude

Once you determine you need an retirement attitude makeover, you can get started right away. 

As an retiree, you already have all the time you need to change your mindset with a little focus on what's important in life!

Your daily attitude in retirement matters greatly!

Try these strategies to experience the joys of a more positive retirement:

• Make a decision TODAY. Decide to rid yourself of the attitude that brings you down. You KNOW you can do this!

• Use reminders. Post reminders on your mirror and refrigerator and in your car to let go of your old attitude. Simple sticky notes will do the trick to keep you focused on thinking of possibilities and a better future.

• Replace the old. Select a more uplifting attitude as your dominant one. For example, pick happiness, joy, peace, satisfaction, or contentment as your new retirement attitude to strengthen your life. Whenever you notice your old attitude creeping in, kick it to the curb. Immediately replace that negative attitude with your more optimistic, motivating one. Refuse to surrender your power to that old state of mind. 
• Do something to replace the old... turn on your favorite music (not the blues, please, something uplifting), change the tv show that is sad, figure out what it is that triggers your anger and how to avoid it.

• Affirm your new attitude. Apply your new frame of mind. Every day, say to yourself, over and over, whenever you think of it:  "No matter what, I am [your new attitude]."  Using that as your affirmation daily, repeat it, remember it, get your subconscious to recognize it, and  you will live it very soon!

Remind yourself that you're stronger than your old, ineffective attitude.

Change your mindset and watch your new retired life unfold.  Wishing you lots of good friends and fun!