By Mike Drak
One thing I look forward to during the holidays is watching one of my favorite movies, A Christmas Carol.
To be honest, I don’t watch it in its entirety anymore because I’ve seen it so many times over the years. Instead, I usually just tune in for when Scrooge wakes up on Christmas Day as a changed man, happy to be alive, and asks a little boy to buy the prize turkey for him that’s hanging in the butcher shop.
I love the last lines in the movie “Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world.” The narrator continues: “And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well.”
Watching the movie this time got me thinking about making some positive changes in my own life.
At age 70 I’ve decided to set a new BHAG (big hairy audacious goal) to be as happy as Scrooge on Christmas day and live the best life possible with the time I have left.
I know it’s a pretty big goal, but I feel I can get there by executing on the following:
1) Staying Connected to Friends and Family
Like Scrooge discovered in the movie if you want to be happy it’s important to stay connected with family and loved ones.
With my kids living in different parts of the world it makes meeting in person on a regular basis somewhat difficult.
I get around that by calling or video chatting with them as often as I can so I can remain in touch and up to date on their lives as much as possible.
I also schedule special vacations where the whole family can get together and make some special memories.
2) Investing in Social Connections
To ensure that I don’t become socially isolated I join groups that promote social activity.
- I belong to a swim club
- I volunteer at the food bank weekly.
- I go on an annual fly-fishing trip with my buddies.
- I go to the gym.
- I help a lot of people.
- I do the annual ride to conquer cancer.
3) Continuing to Grow: Embracing Learning and New Experiences
I’m a growth-oriented retiree and if I’m not growing and learning new things I’m not happy.
My goal is to find ways to feed my need for learning and growing.
I accomplish that by reading a lot, travelling to new places, and mastering new skills.
I learn a lot from online resources like Ted Talks, podcasts, and You Tube videos.
Some of the new skills I want to master in 2025 are:
- Learn to spey cast (fly fishing)
- Learn how to use AI
- Learn how to make videos and posting them on Instagram
4) Creating Meaningful Memories
Happiness is a life full of great memories and my goal is to create as many meaningful ones as I can.
I travel to other countries. Vacation with the family attempt challenging things like Ironman, go fly fishing with my friends and even wrote a few books along the way.
5) Prioritizing Health: Work Out and Eat Healthy
I’ve signed up for Ironman Ottawa in August of this year. While it would be nice to earn a finisher’s medal my real goal is to become healthy again, so I can do the things I love to do for as long as I can.
Exercising on a regular basis and eating healthy will extend both my lifespan and health span and also positively impacts my overall well-being.
6) Be Generous Be Kind : Giving Back and Spreading Joy
I’ve made it a habit to look for ways to perform acts of kindness that’ll put smiles on others’ faces, and, when I manage to do that, it ends up putting a smile on my face as well—a true win-win if ever there was one.
Sometimes, I pay for the car behind me in the drive-through at Tim Hortons. The first time I tried it, the cashier asked if I really wanted to do it because the next car’s order was for $36.79. I laughed it off and paid, all the time thinking about what Scrooge would do if he were in my shoes.
What I’ve learned from doing good deeds is that you don’t have to do big things to make people feel good. The simple act of holding a door open, or letting someone go ahead of you in the grocery store checkout line works just as well.
Believe me, there’s no better feeling than seeing someone light up because of your kindness. An added bonus: When you’re kind to others, others will be kind to you. The more kindness you show, the happier you’ll be.
Helping others gives my life meaning and purpose as well as a strong sense of gratitude. That’s why I volunteer at the local foodbank every Wednesday.
But that’s not all. I got so caught up in this giving and helping thing that I made the decision to give away all my retirement books for free. My wife thought I lost my mind when I told her about that one.
Bottom line; The thought of feeling like Scrooge on Christmas day for the rest of my life puts a smile on my face. I know the goal will keep me feeling and acting young. It will give me a sense of purpose, direction, and accomplishment. It will keep me active and engaged and help me avoid getting bored and socially isolated. 2025 is going to be an awesome year – why not join in the fun?
