Lost After Retirement? 7 Steps to Reclaim Your Sense of Purpose

By Affirmations Sensei

I teach physics at college, yes I know I’m a kind of nerd. Well, at least for a few more months. After 28 years of teaching, retirement is coming soon. I’m scared and excited at the same time.

But I have a secret. Every morning, I say nice things to myself in the mirror. Things like “You can do this” and “Today will be good.” These little pep talks have helped me my whole life. They got me through tough times. They made good times even better.

Now I have this big idea. I want to make a website about these daily pep talks. (We call them affirmations, but that’s just a fancy word for saying good things to yourself.) I’ve been using them for years. Why not share them with others? So, I created Affirmations Sensei.

Now, let me tell you why this name. I chose the title Sensei because it reflects my deep connection to Japanese culture, which began when I was a teenager practicing karate. In martial arts, a sensei is a trusted teacher who guides students not only in technique but in mindset and discipline. That experience shaped my understanding of growth, resilience, and balance. Now, I carry those lessons into my work with affirmations, guiding others to find their inner strength and create a life filled with purpose and positivity.

Let me tell you what I’ve learned about getting ready for retirement. Maybe it’ll help you too.

Step 1: It’s Okay to Feel Lost

My friend Sarah stopped working last year, and she told me something I won’t forget. “The first month feels strange,” she said, and she was right about that. In those first few weeks, her body wouldn’t forget its old ways – she’d wake up at 6 AM, reaching for her work ID that she didn’t need anymore. Her old work habits were hard to break; she’d look at her phone for work messages or worry about meetings that weren’t happening. The hardest thing, she told me, was the odd feeling of having nowhere to be, no work friends waiting for her, and no tasks to fill her day.

I’m getting my mind ready for this big change, knowing it won’t be easy but understanding that it’s normal to feel lost. Every morning, while I drink my coffee and watch the sun come up, I say words that help me stay steady: “Change is okay. New things can be good.” These words might seem plain, but they make me feel better. They remind me that while my old work life will end, it opens the door for new things, new chances, and new ways to spend my time. Sarah’s story helps me see that feeling lost is just part of finding my path to what’s next.

Step 2: Find What Makes You Happy

I made a list of things I like:

• Writing daily affirmations
• Reading good books
• Helping others feel better
• Learning new things
• My old physics books (they’re pretty dusty!)

Looking at this list gave me an idea. Why not learn to make websites? I could share my affirmations online for more people to see. I’ve never done this before, but I’m excited to try.

So far, it’s been an interesting and funny journey. Just the other day, I turned on my test website, and the whole thing was completely dark—oops! I laughed at myself and went back to fix it. I’ve realized that making mistakes is just part of learning, and that’s okay. I’m still figuring things out, but I’m having a lot of fun along the way. It feels good to challenge myself and try something I’ve never done before. Who knows? Maybe one day my affirmations will inspire someone who really needs them, and that thought makes me smile.

Step 3: Make New Friends

I meet with a group of other people who are about to retire, just like me. We get together once a month for coffee and talk about our plans for the future. There’s only one rule for our meetups: no talk about work! Instead, we focus on new things we want to try and share ideas with each other.

Last week, I shared some of my ideas for writing daily affirmations, and my friend Carlos, who used to be Dr. Martinez before retiring, got really excited. He told me about how he’s been learning to bake bread from scratch. He even brought us a loaf to try, and it was amazing! We joked that maybe he should start a bakery. It’s so inspiring to see everyone exploring new hobbies and interests. It makes me excited to keep working on my own projects.

Step 4: Try New Things

Last weekend, my daughter watched me learn about websites. She found I was having a hard time when I couldn’t get the words to stay in the middle of the page. So, she helped me fix it and I kept going with the next taks. Trying new things might be scary, but the good news is that there is help available. I can help you write your affirmations, that’s my specialty. 

I’m learning lots of new things:

• How to make web pages
• How to get people to find my website
• How to make everything look nice
• How to save people’s favorite affirmations

Some days it feels hard. But I keep telling myself: “Learning new things keeps life fun.”

Step 5: Have Small Daily Goals

Each day, I do two things:

1. Write one new affirmation
2. Learn one new thing about making websites

Yesterday I learned how to make my website work on phones. I felt so proud!

I keep a notebook of ideas for my website:

• A button that gives you a random pep talk
• A place where people can share their own good words
• A way to save your favorite sayings
• Maybe some nice music to go with the words

Step 6: Make a New Plan

Here’s what I think my weeks will look like soon:

• Monday: Work on my website
• Tuesday: Write new affirmations
• Wednesday: Talk to other website makers online
• Thursday: Try new affirmations
• Friday: Get help from my daughter when I mess up the website

The Truth About Finding Something New to Do

Change is hard. But it can also be fun. Who knew that my morning affirmations would turn into a big project? Sometimes the best ideas come from things we’ve been doing all along.

The other day, I found my old teaching notes. Between all the science stuff, I had written little affirmations to myself. Things like “You’ll do great today” and “Your students need you.” Now I’m writing new ones like “Learning websites is fun” and “I can figure this out.”

If you’re worried about retirement, try this: Write down one good thing about yourself every morning. It helps. Trust me – I’ve been doing it for years.

Want to try? Start small. Write one nice thing about yourself tomorrow morning. Or wait for my website – it’s coming soon! (Once I figured out why all my buttons turned purple…)

P.S. Want to know my favorite morning affirmations? It’s simple: “Today is a new day. Let’s make it good.”

Step 7: Use Affirmations that work for you

I’ve helped students feel good about learning hard stuff for years. During my time teaching physics, I learned something important. Everyone needs different kinds of pep talks. What works for one person might not work for another.

Here’s what I’ve learned about making affirmations that really work:

Start With “I Am” These are the strongest words you can use. They tell your brain something is true right now. Instead of saying “I will be happy,” say “I am happy.” It works better.

Example from my teaching days:

• Not so good: “I will understand this physics problem”
• Better: “I am understanding this more each day”
• Best: “I am capable of solving hard problems”

Make It Feel True If your brain doesn’t believe it, it won’t work. Start with something you can believe. Then make it bigger slowly.

For example, my journey of creating a website went like this:

• Week 1: “I can learn one new thing about websites”
• Week 2: “I am learning about websites every day”
• Week 3: “I am becoming good at making websites”
• Now: “I am a website creator”

See how each one gets a bit bigger? But they all feel true.

Use Your Own Words, don’t copy fancy words from books if they don’t feel like you. Use words you’d say to a friend.

My personal examples:

• Fancy version: “I am manifesting abundance in my technological endeavors”
• My version: “I’m getting better at this computer stuff every day”

Add Feeling Words that make you feel something. They work better.

Examples I use:

• “I am happily learning new things”
• “I am peacefully moving into retirement”
• “I am excitedly building my website”

The “feeling” words are: happily, peacefully, excitedly. They make the affirmations stronger.

Make It short and keep it simple. Short affirmations are easier to remember. My favorite is just four words: “I can do this.”

Special Section: Making Your Own Affirmations

Let me share how to make affirmations that really feel like you. Here’s what I do:

1. Think About them when you need help, make a list of times you feel worried or scared. For me it was:

• When I open my website builder
• Before learning something new
• When I make mistakes
• When I miss teaching

1. Write What You Want to Feel for each worry, write how you want to feel instead:

• Worry: “This computer stuff is too hard”
• Want to feel: “I am learning at my own pace”

1. Make It Personal Add things that matter to you. I love physics, so I make affirmations using science words:

• “I am expanding like the universe”
• “My energy is positive today”
• “I am in motion toward my goals”

1. Test It Out. Say your affirmations out loud. If you feel silly, change the words until they feel right.

My first try: “I am manifesting digital success” Changed to: “I am building something cool online” Final version: “I am creating a helpful website”.

If you feel that writing your own affirmations could be very challenging, I can help you get them done for you, like when you order a “make your own pizza” at a pizza place. It is done completely in your style, baked just for you. Check personalized affirmations for more information.

More Tips I’ve Learned

Time Your affirmations right. I found three good times to use them:

• Morning: Sets up a good day
• Before hard tasks: Gives you courage
• At bedtime: Helps you sleep better

Write them down I keep your affirmations everywhere:

• On sticky notes on my mirror
• In my phone
• On my computer screen
• In a small notebook I carry

My students used to laugh at all my sticky notes. Now some of them do it too!

Change Them. As you grow, your affirmations should too. I started with: “I am learning about retirement” Now it’s: “I am excited about my new path”

Why This Matters

When I started teaching physics 28 years ago, I didn’t know I’d end up making a website about affirmations. But looking back, my affirmations helped me through:

• Hard first days of teaching
• Tough classes
• Big life changes
• Getting ready for retirement

Now I want to help others find their own good words. Your affirmations don’t need to be perfect. They just need to feel true to you.

Getting Started Is Easy

Try this:

1. Write down three good things about yourself
2. Put “I am” in front of each one
3. Say them out loud
4. Keep the ones that feel right

Example: Good things about me:

• I learn new things
• I help others
• I try my best

Turns into:

• “I am learning new things”
• “I am helping others”
• “I am trying my best”

My Daily Affirmations Now

Morning: “I am starting fresh today”

Before website work: “I am learning and growing”

When things go wrong: “I am figuring this out step by step”

Before bed: “I am grateful for today”

Remember, good affirmations are like good friends. They’re there when you need them, they tell you the truth, and they help you feel better.

Want to try? Start with just one affirmation tomorrow morning. Or visit my website – it’s constantly under construction but it works. 

P.S. My favorite morning affirmation is still the simple one: “Today is a new day. Let’s make it good.”

Want to know the best thing about affirmations? They’re always with you. You can use them anywhere, anytime. They don’t need batteries, they don’t break, and they get stronger the more you use them.

Try some of mine, or better yet, make your own. Your words will always be the best ones for you.

Remember: You don’t have to be retiring to use affirmation. They help with any change in life. Big or small, changes are easier when you have good words to help you through them.

Now it’s your turn. What will your first affirmation be?