My world takes on a new focus at midnight on Christmas Day. Overnight, the after-effects of the monthlong orgy of parties and family gatherings become real, very real. My habit of diet and exercise were tossed aside, and good times and good food moved front and center.

December 26 is judgment day; a day when my focus returns to health and wellness. My mind turns to be a healthier man in the coming year. That means revisiting my goals I set a year earlier. I adopted the habit over the past years of focusing on my general wellness during these goal-setting exercises. That habit resulted in goals that were very structured and often lofty

What do goals look like for a sixty-five-year-old retired guy? I spent considerable time thinking about that in my third year of retirement.  I developed a habit of reading this year. Self-help books focusing on health, wellness, and life as a senior were prominent on my bookshelf. Everything is F*ucked, Begin with Yes, and Younger Next Year played an important part in what my goals should be.  

The message was clear. My wellness vision needs to be less structured as a retiree. Goals remain an important part of that vision. They need to be challenging and at the same time realistic, changeable and handled with a casual attitude. That is a dramatic change for a person who is very number driven and structured.

I am tossing the vision vernacular. It is too clinical and corporate for a retired guy. I am calling it what it is, a blueprint for life. A blueprint lays out the plan. It sets the foundation on which to build. It is also changeable. As the process moves forward, changes are made to adapt to the reality of my current needs.

What is my blueprint for the 20s? My focus has been variations of being active, eating a healthy diet, and living as a happy person. That has not changed for the coming years. I am focusing on mind, body, and spirit and what I can do in the here and now. As for goals, the focus changed from goals to life habits. You can learn more about my life blueprint for the 20s here.

“You have a choice in how the rest of your life goes, and it can be great. The rules are straightforward: Exercise hard and you will grow younger. Care about other people and you will grow happier. Build a life that you think means something and you will grow richer.”

Dr. Harry Lodge in Younger Next Year