4 Strategies to Win the Retirement Race

Straining for the Finish Line

As she headed up the steepest hill of her life, cross-country skiier Jessica Diggins suddenly decided that winning an Olympic medal was no longer good enough. She wanted more. She wanted the gold medal in PyeongChang. She dug deeper than she ever had as all her teammates cheered her home. She reached the peak of the final hill in third place but sped past the Norwegian skier on the last downhill. As she rounded the corner for the final 100 meters, she took dead aim at the leading Swede skier.

The crowd was on its feet, sensing that history was being made. Diggins later said she felt unstoppable at that moment. “Around the final turn, I felt like I was uncoiling a spring and letting go. Everything I had, digging as deep as I could and putting it all out there. When your team is counting on you, you don’t give up, ever.” And she didn’t give up. In a blur, she blew by the final skier to secure the first-ever gold medal for the United States in Olympic cross-country skiing.

Well Done, Faithful Servant

At the same time, on the other side of the world, people were beginning to celebrate the remarkable finish of another historic race honoring the Reverend Billy Graham who passed away at the age of 99. Rarely has a man had a more global and long-lasting impact than this humble preacher who spoke to millions through his crusades and TV and radio shows. Millions have credited Dr. Graham with bringing them the message that changed their lives.

Even though he appeared regularly on the big stage most of his adulthood, he lived as a quiet, humble man of God. He never sought fanfare, he never created public conflict, and he never fell prey to the calls of the world that so easily entangle public figures. He ran life’s race as few have done, and when he crossed the finish line, surely God greeted him with those precious words we long to hear, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

Running Your Race

These illustrations are two very different visions of how to run a race, yet they converge into one model for us: don’t quit until you cross the finish line.

Where are you in your race? If you are retired, you may think your race is over. You may believe there are no more finish lines, nothing to accomplish, and nothing to strive for. That would be a mistake. As a recent beer commercial pointed out—life is not about whether your glass is half full or half empty; it’s about filling it up.

Retirees often believe they have reached the finish line when they leave their job; yet many will live another twenty or thirty years. Their race is not over; it has merely changed. In this stage, we are running our encore lap.

Those who quit the race too early and drop out face dire consequences. The statistics are clear. As we age, depression goes up, suicide rates rise, divorce becomes more prevalent, and isolation becomes a real danger.

Preparing for your encore means saving your best for that last lap. Building your Encore Curve is all about redefining the race, engaging your life wisdom in a new way, and finishing well. Sure, your race is not the same as it was when you were younger, but it’s still vital to stay on the track.

Here are four steps/suggestions for how to finish strong in the race laid out before you, using the acronym RACE:

Redefine your destination. Get specific about what you want your lifestyle and legacy to look like as you move forward in this new race called “retirement.” Write down a new set of goals.
Accept your limitations. As we age, we can’t do physically what we once did. That doesn’t mean quitting. Acceptance is not avoidance. It just means we must proactively understand our situation, adjust, and move on.
Create a new game plan. Forward progress will always encounter obstacles. The most important part of our race is defining and overcoming those things that stand in our way. Think about Jessica Diggins as she determined that she was not going to be beaten. Find a way to overcome what stands between you and a great finish.
Explore new opportunities. The comfort zone is both an easy and dangerous place to stay. All personal growth happens outside your comfort zone. Take some chances and get out there, even when it’s scary.

If you want more resources for running your Encore Race, check out our website or buy my book, The Encore Curve: Retire with a Life Plan That Excites You.

About the author – Andy Raub is known as “America’s Encore Coach” because of his passion to help retirees repurpose their lives and reorganize their money. Andy is the author of the new book The Encore Curve – How to Retire with a Life Plan That Excites You and the founder of the Encore Curve Program. See how The Encore Curve process can help you clarify your life and simplify your money at EncoreCurve.com