Retirement is one of those things that we all look forward to. Finally, you can sit back, relax, and enjoy not having to put an alarm on at 7.30 in the morning ever again. However, retirement can be a bit of a difficult one, and you don’t want to end up getting into a rut, where you don’t socialise very much, and you just get bored. Of course, this may not be appropriate for you yet (hello, increase in pension age) but it’s good to be prepared for what’s to come. There’s a lot to enjoy in retirement, but you need to get it right!
Do something that you’ve always wanted to do
Retirement looks different for everybody, but one sure fact about it is that it’s a great time to do something that you’ve always wanted to do. Perhaps you’ve always thought about visiting Italy and wandering around, soaking up the sun and tasting the beautiful wines? Or you have somewhere further afield in mind, such as India or Thailand? If you’ve always wanted to visit a place, now is probably the right time to do it, especially if there’s not much tying you down. You’ll never regret travelling!
However, if you’re not looking to splash the cash right now, then you can always do something that won’t put you out too much. After all, nobody wants to get a quick loan in retirement, do they? If you’re retired, you probably have a lot more time on your hands, and now is the time to take up that project you’ve always thought of, or that hobby that you’ve always wanted to pursue, but never had time for. Perhaps you want to join a book club, or you’ve always fancied yourself as a swing dancer? Whatever it is, there’s no time like the present.
Whilst retirement is something that people always look forward to, it does have that tendency to result in loneliness, so it’s also good to get a hobby to keep you socialising with people, and making new friends along the way. Plus, if you can find people who like the same things as you, then that’s always a bonus! The hardest part is making the first step and putting yourself out there, but you’ll soon be glad that you did this.
Spend some time with your family and friends
If you’re working 9 ‘til 5 every day, you can come home and feel exhausted. When your friends ask you to come out for a drink or a meal, you can feel like you’d prefer to put the TV on, wrap yourself in a blanket, and get out a glass of wine whilst you really relax. When you have a busy schedule, seeing your friends and family can fall to the back of your list of priorities, but retirement is the perfect time to rectify this issue.
Now that you have more time, you should do your best to spend a lot of time with your loved ones, especially if they are of retirement age, too. Now is the time for you to really enjoy yourself, and there’s no better way of doing this than spending your time with the people who mean the most to you. Though this can be a daunting thing if you haven’t seen your friends for a while, it’s pretty likely that there will be a happy voice on the other end of the phone.
And hey, if you’re on the dating scene, now is also a great time to find yourself an interesting man (or woman). After all, what harm can a few dates do, even if you only go on them for a bit of fun? If you’re married or in a relationship, trying to fit in more date nights is also a good idea, as you should be relaxing and enjoying yourself now that you’ve retired. Hello date night, and dressing up fancy for the occasion, too.
Make your own decisions about what you want
OK, so I did make a guide about how to get retirement right. However, it’s important not to forget that retirement is about you and what you really want, not about the expectations that you have put upon you. If you don’t want to travel the world, and you’re quite happy relaxing where you are, then that’s fine. You’ve worked hard, and the choice about what you do now is entirely yours to make.
Retirement is a unique opportunity, because it allows you to take a step back, and ask yourself what you really want out of life. For so long, your life has revolved around your job, and now you have the opportunity to find yourself all over again. Whilst it sounds like a bit of a cliche, there is an element of retirement that includes rediscovering your identity, and the best thing to do is to see this as something exciting, rather than something negative!
The most important thing to remember is that you have to put yourself out there, to avoid isolation and other issues that most people face in retirement. Although it is daunting at first, it’s a worthwhile endeavour, and you’ll be glad that you’re retiring surrounded by your friends, both new and old. Go dancing, go to a knitting class, learn how to make pottery, go to the theatre… whatever it is that you want to do, get out there and do it!
So…
If you want to make sure that you’ve made the most out of your retirement, don’t forget these simple tips. Namely, do some of the things that you’ve always wanted to do, and make sure that you surround yourself with some great people, as this will make your retirement exciting and full of love and happiness. Ultimately, you need to make a decision about what you want, however, so don’t let your retirement get dictated to you by others!
Enjoy your retirement, as you have worked so hard to get here. Whether you want to see the elephants in Kenya, or you’re quite happy relaxing at home, don’t forget to create some memories that you will be happy to look back on. Enjoy!
