Your operating system is more than a mindset or worldview. It’s a foundational way at which you function, look at life, and solve problems. Choosing an empowering operating system sets the stage for you to walk into God’s fullness and live with purpose in retirement. However, the opposite is true. We discuss the dangers of choosing a disempowering operating system and how it can force you to live life playing defense.
What is an “operating system?”
In his book, Straight-Line Leadership, Dusan Djukick talks about an operating system in the context of what he calls an inner stance. He says, “Your inner stance is the position or mental posture you create to live your life from. It is how you choose to live your life, exist, or ‘be’ in regard to yourself, others, challenges, or life in general.” Think of an Apple computer versus a PC. One device runs on macOS while the other runs on Windows. Both computers perform tasks, execute applications and solve problems, but function from completely different frameworks.
Why is an “operating system” so important to a retiree?
Retirement is the time for you to continue to walk into God’s fullness. This notion is baked into the cover design of Repurposed: The Untold Story of Retirement in America. Notice the logo is a series of moon phases that progressively end with a full moon. The design was no accident. Functioning from a disempowering operating system will prevent you from performing at the highest level at which God created you to live.
Examples of defensive “operating systems”
NEED: A person functioning from an operating system of need is one of the most disempowering ways to live. Their fulfillment is rooted in receiving rather than giving. They are always lacking, requiring other people or things to fill the gap. Oftentimes, people functioning out of need blame others, refuse to change, rarely take action, have a victim mentality, live in the past and struggle with worry, fear or depression.
WANT: People functioning from an operating system of want are rarely satisfied. It’s the epitome of discontentment. They are focused on the things they don’t have with little to no action to change. Dusan Djukick challenges his readers to spend 20 minutes and think about all the things they want in life but don’t have. Then, assess how they feel. The reality is when you make your wants the center of attention, not only is it disempowering, stealing away from how God wants you to live, it’s not good for the soul.
Living out of disempowering operating systems will leave you playing defense in retirement – on your heels, not pursuing growth and purpose. You will live as a bi-product of your circumstances, your emotions and market fluctuations. The good news is you have the ability to choose the system by which you operate.
Stay tuned!
Jerrid Sebesta
Co-Founder of Retire Repurposed
