“You are who you are here and now” – Bruce Lee

We all live life with the best intentions, yet rocking retirement is all about what we are actually doing–not intending to do. Do the things that you say are important to you now.

In this episode of the Living a Heroic Retirement series, you’ll learn how you can begin to live a heroic life today. Michael Balchan and I break down what we are doing to live our best lives. We bring the macro level that we have been discussing in the past few episodes down to the micro level. Press play to learn how to embody your virtues by taking baby steps towards your goals.

Life is like a game

When you are young, you going to school is like a game where you get motivation and rewards for doing well. You get to level up each year and then move on to the next stage. Work is also like a game. There are boundaries, a scorecard, and of course, more leveling up. 

In retirement, you have a clean slate, but since we are already so gamified you might as well continue playing. The difference is, that now you get to decide the rules of the game you are playing. Take the game and personalize it to your own needs. 

How to play the game

Your virtues are how you want to play the game. Once you decide which virtues ring true to yourself then you can set targets that align with those virtues. Set 3 targets that you can do today to make sure that you are living a life that aligns with your virtues. These targets are a way to make commitments to the behaviors that you want to act upon. 

When you set your intention your attention follows. 

Remember that this is your own game so set yourself up for success. Listen in to hear how Michael and Roger play their games differently using the Heroic app. 

Why celebration is important

It is important to celebrate your wins, but many of us have a hard time doing so. Celebrating your wins can feel inauthentic, or manufactured. However, celebrating acting on your virtues use positive reinforcement for your brain. Positive reinforcement creates a reward system for your brain to help you rewire and create positive habits. By celebrating your wins you create an internal sense of joy and satisfaction and therefore become more likely to make positive decisions

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

• [4:03] In retirement, you get to decide the rules of the game you are playing
• [8:50] Set targets
• [18:24] Be excited about showing up in the next moment 
• [19:52] Why is it so important to celebrate the wins?
• [29:38] The heroic app gamifies living out your virtues

LISTENER QUESTIONS

• [36:09] Bart’s inherited IRA question
• [38:48] David’s question on the pie cake
• [47:38] Adam’s simple question
• [49:51] How to fund a hybrid long-term care insurance policy

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

• [53:33] Set one target that supports living your best self

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

The Heroic app

BOOK - 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson

BOOK - Beyond Order by Jordan Peterson

BOOK - Top 5 Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware

BOOK - An Audience of One by Robin Dellabough

The Long-Term Care series - Episodes 311, 312, 313, 314

Rock Retirement Club

Roger’s YouTube Channel - Roger That

BOOK - Rock Retirement  by Roger Whitney

Roger’s Retirement Learning Center