What Will Your Future Be Like After You Retire?

Are you considering retirement? Retirement can be a wonderful time in a person’s life, but without adequate knowledge and preparation, the individual is vulnerable to many pitfalls.

Here are a couple of examples of healthy thinking and planning.

Changing focus

“When I leave my job and reap the benefits of retirement, I will change my focus and concentrate more on things like hobbies, volunteering or a new part-time career. I will be doing things that I have wanted to do but have always seemed to lack the time for. Fortunately, I can be more in control of my time and won’t feel the pressure to produce an income, meet quotas or work by the clock.”

Keeping busy

“I am going to be busy in my new adventure. I may do some of the same things I did in my former career but now I can be a volunteer. I will be able to choose how I spend my time. I’ll probably have more or less the same type of sleep and wake schedule and certainly don’t intend to become a couch potato. Retirement for me won’t mean doing nothing; instead, I will just spend some of my time differently. I am looking forward to learning new things and meeting new people.”

Here are two less healthy outlooks:

Doing nothing

“Retirement will mean sleeping late all of the time, wearing whatever I want, shaving only if I want to, having no schedule to meet, and pleasing no one but myself. Every day will be like a holiday. I can do nothing and my routine will take care of itself. I have always believed that you have no control over the future, so why try to plan ahead?”

Blending activities

“After retirement my children and grandchildren will fill my time, and I can see them as often as I care to. I will blend my activities in their lives so my time will be filled with joy and I will need nothing else but them.”

Successful retirement often simply translates into “changing direction.” Healthy and happy retirees have purpose and meaning in life and feel needed and wanted by someone or something.

They keep active mentally and physically, have a reason to get up in the morning and see retirement as a new challenge and opportunity.

Try to emulate these role models and you will find exciting retirement experiences ahead.