What Do You Have Planned for Retirement?
I like to think that those folks who know from a very young age what they want to do in life are extremely fortunate. First of all, they manage to tap into a sense of motivation without any issue. They are constantly investing in their future and, oftentimes, go for fulfilling careers.
But not everyone is that lucky. Maybe you wanted to become a doctor but didn’t make it through advanced chemistry. Or perhaps you wanted to play football, but you ran into a 300-pound tackle. Maybe you had no idea what you wanted to do, so you just settled for an average career that was available at the time.
You only focused on paying the bills and were satisfied enough to keep going. However, retirement feels different because you don’t have to work for the money anymore. It’s a time when you can stop settling for average activities and finally pursue your passions.
I know what you’re thinking: What if I don’t have any passions? Well, here are a couple of tips on how to discover what truly moves you:
What parts of your job did you like and hate?
If you hated working at your desk but didn’t have any issue with organizing and attending meetings, then there’s definitely something interesting you could do now that you’ve retired. Perhaps your church or community center might use your help as a volunteer, taking care of activities and scheduling outings.
Or, if you really enjoyed working with other people toward a common goal, you could volunteer for a large organization. If you’re not very fond of traveling for work, you might as well consider other kinds of hobbies that are way closer to home. The bottom line is that you can definitely find something to pursue!
What would you like to learn?
You can look for a catalog from your local adult education program or even a continuing education division at your local community college. Make sure you carefully browse through the course descriptions.
Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn more about history, yoga, technology, and even foreign languages. Maybe you’ve long wished to pick up a new course, and if you didn’t, this exercise will definitely give you a clue about your interests and what you should focus your energies on from now on. Don’t be afraid to try new things! And even more important, don’t think it’s too late to learn something new!
Do you like to work on your own or with other people?
If you simply love the idea of adhering to a group, you probably don’t like closing yourself in a home office and writing your autobiography. Also, spending hours in your garage doing all kinds of crafty projects isn’t the ideal hobby for you.
But that’s not a bad thing; on the contrary, you can focus on regular social activities! You could consider a volunteer role or even a part-time job with a strong social component. If you love spending time by yourself, you probably wouldn’t feel compelled to have a schedule packed with volunteer commitments.
When it comes to picking a new hobby, it’s fairly important to know yourself and know what moves you.
Do you like the outdoors?
If you like spending time outdoors, then you could consider moving to a warmer climate where you can fully enjoy the outdoors throughout the year. Whether it’s hiking, kayaking, or even playing golf and tennis, there are plenty of options for you to try.
You could be interested in joining a league that offers a very competitive outlet or even helps you set a goal to focus on your activities. If you prefer taking a four- or five-mile hike in your local park, then you’d probably love the challenge of hiking the Appalachian Trail or even the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Whatever you decide upon, make sure it brings you joy!
Do you like physical effort or prefer mental effort?
I know we all vouch for getting a proper amount of daily exercise, but we still need to be honest with ourselves. If working out isn’t exactly our thing, then we should start making arrangements to get the minimum activity needed to keep up our physical health but also focus our energies on maintaining our mental health.
How do we do that? Well, by doing things that bring us joy. Maybe we can take a walk before you head to the bridge or chess club, or even take a yoga class after you’re done volunteering at the town historical society. Whether it’s a book club, a pottery class, or anything else that’s quite static, you can fill the rest of your spare time with much-needed physical activity.
Do you like to help other people?
There are all kinds of opportunities to try volunteering in retirement. You could choose to help seniors with meals or transportation, or even tutor children to improve their reading or writing skills. You can ask around at your church or community center, or even check your local listings on websites like volunteermach.org.
Do you usually crave familiar places or crave constant change?
If you have lived in only one place your entire life and feel deeply rooted in your community, chances are you will tap into happiness by staying close to the home you’ve built and grown into. You probably want to age in the same place, which is totally understandable.
But what if you always felt the need to break out and test unknown, unseen waters? Isn’t the thought of it simply exciting? Maybe you had a long-held desire to break out of the mundane life and test unknown territories, and if that’s so, you should listen to that gut instinct.
Rent a motor home or even try out that appraised RV lifestyle, just for a while. Or, you could start planning a trip abroad, just to see if you feel the excitement of visiting a new place.
Test out multiple hobbies.
Start a new photography course, go on a three-day camping trip, or consider volunteering for Meals on Wheels. Also, try to pay attention to what grabs your interest and what leaves you disinterested.
Experimenting with all kinds of pursuits, especially as soon as you start your retirement years, could ultimately lead you to find your true passion. Naturally, it’s worth mentioning that one hobby might not fulfill all your needs.
And it doesn’t have to! You can find a way to blend all your favorite activities together. You can socialize with a walking group in the afternoon, then retreat to the quiet of your home and curl up with a book all by yourself.
We can’t let you go without recommending that you read “Badass Retirement: Shatter the Retirement Myth and Live with More Meaning, Money, and Adventure” by Robert Pagliarini. In this book, you will find out how the traditional approach to what we call “retirement” is simply failing us, especially in this day and age.
It’s time to shatter the misconception that retirees and aging are associated with becoming weaker and less capable. In fact, it’s a time to shine and focus on yourself, and that’s exactly what we’re trying to convince you of in any of the articles you will find on our website. Next, we recommend you read: 6 Habits That Will Help You Stay Young Forever
