During my career – there were development plans that addressed ‘what do I want to be doing 5 years from now…and what can I do to prepare myself?” I am trying to apply the idea to my post-career life – which does not have salary as a motivating factor. My overarching goal is to become wiser every year…to care for my family…to contribute to the well-being of my community….to blend the things I do rather than trying to separate them.

In 5 years, I want to be much as I am now…but better prepared for whatever health/infirmity develops as I get older and take more action to leave the world a better place.

Here is my high level “what I can do to prepare myself:”

Continue doing what I am doing now with some changes
Consciously increase activities that sustain or improve my physical resilience (i.e. targeted exercise primarily)
Decrease my carbon footprint. Here are some things I have in mind:
- Replace my plug-in hybrid car with an electric. This will probably happen in 2027.
- Put solar panels with battery on my home. This will probably happen in the next 2 years.
- Eat more from my own yard (I already eat seasonal greens from the yard….and am looking forward to elderberries and pawpaws in the coming years).
- Gradually replace my wardrobe with clothes made from natural fibers.
- Reduce the turf in my yard to 30% or less.
- Allow an oak to grow in both the back and front yard (they as seedlings now).
(Maybe) Begin to skew from outreach/education type volunteering toward advocacy. This could mean that I would decide not to continue as a Missouri Master Naturalist.

Now that I have written this down, I realize that my trend is good….that the plan is simply tweaks that will take some disciple/energy to implement.