Creating a structure to your days when you no longer work can be one of the more challenging parts of retirement. It may sound fun to have no plans or to sit on the couch all day and watch TV. But after a few weeks of total freedom, boredom often sets in.
Taking the time now to really think about what you want to do when you have lots of time on your hands may help make the transition into retirement much smoother.
A wall of blank post-it-notes
Many people tell me that retirement “snuck up” on them. They may think that. But honestly, with every birthday and each additional candle, were they really not aware? Seems a little fishy to me!
This kind of comment reveals how unprepared many are for life as a retiree. With mandatory retirement ages long gone, it leaves all the decisions when to stop working to real people. And, thinking about no longer being important on the job, or losing your routine…it’s just not that appealing.
Noodle on some ideas as your 60th birthday gift
One way to help ease your way down the road to retirement is to give yourself the gift of time. Starting with your 60th birthday — or whatever age you are today. Carve out some quiet time to think about what you will do with all your free hours. Retirement is not a vacation. It is literally a major era of your life. We’re talking about 3 decades more or less. That’s more than 260,000 hours you need to fill! Leaving retirement to chance is simply not in your best interest.
Here’s a good place to start. Download and start filling out the “My Plans for Retirement” worksheet as a place to start. Talk about your ideas with your spouse or partner, your children, your friends. See if you can find some role models who are living the kind of retirement you might like. It’s a grand adventure just waiting for you to get started.
And, you might find it fun to check out some of the fun ideas in this blog post. See what other Boomers are doing to make their next chapter more meaningful.
Then, post a note about what you discovered. Your ideas just might inspire someone else.
