3 Steps To Make Your Retirement Years Your Best Years
How To Give Your Retirement Years Purpose and Meaning
Want to make your retirement years your best years? Of course! For many, the day you put the hammer down and leave your job behind is something you planned and looked forward to for many years. Staying active and stimulated can be difficult enough for retirees. But during the pandemic, days, weeks, and months started blending together, creating endless doldrums that are still lingering for many people.
As the world starts opening back up, retirees should start looking for ways to broaden their horizons and give their days purpose and meaning. Try one of these three ideas to avoid falling into a retirement rut by creating purpose and meaning.
1. Do something outside your comfort zone.
In our hyperconnected digital world, you don't have to leave your house to try something new. Group exercise, cooking classes, books, movies, music, social hours, and games are all just a tap or swipe away. It's never been easier, or more affordable, to try out a bunch of potential new hobbies and see if anything sticks.
However, taking a few actual steps outside your major comfort zone -- your home -- could provide the extra push you need to make your retirement years your best years. Start small. Try that new restaurant a couple towns over. Switch up your exercise routine and try jogging in a park instead of through your neighborhood. Swing by a farmer's market on Saturday instead of having all your produce delivered.
2. Align with your purpose.
For many people, the winter blues feel bluer because they're lagging behind their New Year's resolutions. According to Forbes, 80% of people abandon their resolutions in February. A common reason for these failures is that, flush with optimism for the year ahead, people set goals that look good on paper (or social media) but don't really resonate personally.
Reassessing your goals for the year and putting daily, actionable steps in place to work towards those goals could freshen up your retirement routine and improve your chances of succeeding. A great first step is to get as specific as possible about what you want to achieve and how you're going to achieve it. For example, if you really want to get healthier, you need a better goal than "get healthier." Put three trips to the gym every week on your calendar. Set a weekly running goal. Plan out meals for the week in advance so you cut back on fast food. Or, for some tougher accountability, hire a personal trainer who will help you schedule your exercises and improve your diet.
3. Get fun on your calendar.
Is there a pile of travel vouchers on your desk from all the family visits and vacations you had to cancel during the pandemic? Or do you have a slight surplus of spending money after staying home for much of the last couple years?
If you're able to travel safely now, then start making up for lost time. You don't have to make grandiose plans to pull yourself out of your retirement rut. Getting a few dinner parties or your grandkids' soccer games on your calendar will give you something to look forward to, and a reason to get out of the house.
But if you have the resources to reschedule the dream vacation that lockdowns cancelled, what are you waiting for?
We understand that the retirement transition isn't a one-time experience. As life goes on, your feelings about retirement are going to change in both negative and positive ways. A comprehensive Life-Centered Financial Plan can give you added comfort and reassurance during the rough patches and the extra confidence to live your best possible life when you're excited for your next challenge. Let's talk about where you are on your retirement journey and how our planning process can help.
