--- url: 'https://neversayretired.in/with-a-goal-the-golden-years-can-be-truly-joyful/' title: 'With a Goal, the Golden Years Can Be Truly Joyful' author: name: विजय मारू url: 'https://neversayretired.in/author/vijaymaroo/' date: '2026-09-12T15:17:02+05:30' modified: '2026-09-12T15:17:03+05:30' type: post categories: - Age Power (English) image: 'https://neversayretired.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pexels-golden-years.jpg' published: true --- # With a Goal, the Golden Years Can Be Truly Joyful A few days ago, I had the good fortune of attending a five-day discourse by Swami Girishanand Saraswati Ji Maharaj on the second chapter of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita. Every day, he narrated several episodes and shared thoughts that left a deep impression on both the mind and the heart. One day, he said that to truly live our lives, we must have a goal and move forward with a sense of purpose. He was speaking to people of all age groups. But his words set me thinking particularly about senior citizens. Is this not even more important for us? Most of us spend four or five decades of our lives engaged in some form of work. Jobs, businesses, family responsibilities and raising children keep us moving in a definite direction. Then one day, we retire. The job ends, positions and responsibilities are left behind, and we enter a new phase of life. But one thing does not change — life goes on. Retirement may mean retiring from a job, but it certainly does not mean retiring from life. At this stage, we may still have many years ahead of us. Why not live those years with a purpose, a goal and enthusiasm? After all, who wants to spend the rest of life merely counting the days? Getting up in the morning, having breakfast, reading the newspaper, watching television, eating and going to bed — and repeating the same routine the next day. If life becomes limited to this and we simply wait for the final destination, where is the joy in living? Certainly not. We must have goals. The goal need not be very big. Nor does it have to be connected with money, position or recognition. It can be anything — serving society, teaching children, mentoring a young person, joining an organisation or taking responsibility for something at home that someone else has always handled. And a goal does not always have to be serious. If you love music, you could decide that over the next six months you will learn to sing well enough to perform on a small stage. You may then practise every day, find a teacher, listen to good music and keep track of your progress. Before you realise it, several hours of your day will be occupied with something you genuinely enjoy. Such a goal can be good for both the body and the mind. When we look forward to accomplishing something, we remain active. We meet people, learn new things, step out of the house and often become more conscious of our health as well. I once heard a motivational speaker make a very simple but powerful observation. He said that when you wake up in the morning with a clear thought — “This is what I have to accomplish today” — your day automatically becomes better. You have something to do, and that keeps you active. This is why we should not only have a larger goal in life; we should have a goal for every day as well. I heard of a gentleman who, when he was approaching seventy, set himself a rather unusual goal. He had been reciting the Hanuman Chalisa every morning for years, but felt that he did not fully understand its meaning. He decided that he would now study it in depth. He began reading books on the subject. Whenever there was a discourse or a programme on Lord Hanuman, he tried to attend. He also used the internet and YouTube to learn more. Gradually, his knowledge increased. Within a few years, he had become so well-versed in the subject that people began looking forward to hearing him explain the meaning and deeper significance of the Hanuman Chalisa. Imagine if he had simply said, “I am too old to learn now.” He would have missed out on this wonderful journey. This is the mindset we need to change. There is no age at which we stop setting goals. In fact, goals become even more important in our senior years. At this stage, we have experience, we often have more time, and we have greater freedom to pursue things that we genuinely enjoy. So let age not become a barrier to setting goals. Learn a new skill. Read something new. Teach someone. Do something for society. Pursue an old dream. Or simply set yourself one small goal every morning. The greatest advantage of the second innings of life is that we no longer have to fulfil somebody else’s goals. We can choose our own. And when we have a goal, every morning brings new hope, every day gives us a reason to be active, and our golden years become not merely longer, but meaningful, active and joyful. #### Author ![विजय मारू](https://neversayretired.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/maroo-vijay-mission-never-say-retired-150x150.jpg)***Vijay Maroo*** The author is the founder of the Never Say Retire mission. In order to achieve this goal, he also runs this website and his Facebook group Never Say Retire Forum has Hundreds and Thousands of members today.