Are You Future-Proofed
Are you Future-Proofed? Not sure? Neither was I. The term has been tossed around, and I wondered what it meant, so I looked it up. It originated in the business world and is how companies anticipate the future to minimize adverse and unforeseen events. These events can be positive or negative.
Many articles and posts highlighted the similarities between business and real life, especially as we age. Of course, we cannot always anticipate unexpected events in the real world throughout the aging process. Life is not always an easy ride. There will be bumps along the way, challenges out of our control, and losses. However, there are also new opportunities and experiences to look forward to and appreciate.
Social media posts about future-proofing discuss preparing ourselves for the path ahead. I want to think of it more as future-ready. I am constantly being inundated with ads and articles about anti-aging. In my third act, future-ready feels like a more positive, realistic map for the road ahead. Hopefully, I can decide how and what I want these years to look like. Health and financial roadblocks often prevent us from living our ideal lives in our later years.
What better time than the beginning of the New Year to think about what you want your future to look like? I’m not referring to resolutions, diets, dry January, or things you intend to give up. I’m talking about investing in yourself, taking stock of your life, and looking through that big, beautiful windshield of life to see what’s next. It may be time to ensure you have an updated Will and Power of Attorney. Or is it deciding where you want to live? Is your current home too big? Does the idea of a condo appeal to you? Do you want to be closer to children and grandchildren?
Future-ready encourages me to think about what I want to accomplish. These are not hard and fast goals and plans; they are choices that make me happy, bring me joy, and keep me connected. I am at an age where being future-ready means gathering all the wisdom and knowledge I have accumulated over the decades and putting it to good use.
I may invest in friendships and make new ones, finding balance in mind, body, and soul. I can become a lifelong learner or take classes. Purge and minimize or collect and create? Choose to stay in the workforce or enjoy a side hustle. It may be a time to cultivate new hobbies like golf, meditation, hiking, or gardening. Or I may decide to remain in my preferred lane, enjoying the friends and activities I have cultivated over the years.
Bit by bit, that’s all she wrote…