Physical fitness is a critical component of maintaining a solid wellness program. Being isolated at home due to the global pandemic can be a challenge for many things but breaking a sweat for your health shouldn’t be one of them.

Then COVID-19 came in our lives like a snowstorm in June. Shocking, unknown and life-stopping. Sparing you the details of the journey I am sure most of you have had as restrictions began to be placed through the United States, we encouraged our children to make their way back to the USA and/or home and get settled into this new life we now know as “shelter in place.”

Social distancing has created a new normal for everyone. It goes against all of our natural instincts, and for many has flipped their world upside down. There has never been a more important time to have a clear actionable plan to be proactive with all your relationships.

Have you ever found yourself saying things like…

“That will be too hard to accomplish.”

“There is no way I can learn that technique.”

“Learning Spanish would be cool, but it will take too much time and energy.”

The list could go on. At times, people don’t have the right mindset or the right amount of energy, drive, and vision for what they really want and the steps to achieve. So, we settle for what comes our way. We settle in comfort. We find happiness in that, but deep inside wish for more for ourselves and our family.

While you may think you have everything figured out when it comes to retirement, your health and wellness are likely not on that list. But they should be!

Without a solid plan for your mental and physical health and wellness, your years ahead will fall short of your expectations. Not only short-lived, but living this time that you are supposed to be enjoying, instead of with potential illness, frailty, and potential depression or worse.

The word “relax” did not fit into my daily life for most of my career. My days were filled with meetings, sales calls, family events, and all the operational jargon in between. Being mindful was definitely not at the top of my mind. But when the retirement conversation between my wife and I began, mindfulness and relaxing were suddenly at the forefront. So what changed?

In May of 2013, I sold my family business to a large publicly-traded company. The family business I loved, lived for, sweat for, created an empire for. From that day onward, my life changed.

My parents raised me to work hard, play hard and always give back. They lived by these words and instilled in me these values which I have worked to embody throughout my whole life. They demonstrated to me the importance of pouring everything into work and play and to never forget that the blessings I’ve received should be paid forward.

All through school and my career, I was a planner. I planned every day, week, month, quarter, year, and sometimes several years out. This planning helped me achieve goals, both personal and professional, and gave me a road map to follow. For me, this has been more than 50 years of planning, almost every day.

As your career winds down and you inevitably look forward to your final day at work and the freedom that will be coming your way, you should also think about the emotions that come along with this major transition. Sure, there are the good emotions—a sense of freedom and a time to kick back and relax—but there are the emotions like anxiety and fear that can deeply affect your life.