Retirement Lifestyles
It’s Your Retirement ……..Own It!
I would like to share with you my retirement lifestyle tips. Firstly though we need to understand how retirement lifestyles can change. When my mother retired her thinking was simple. She didn’t have to get up to go to work anymore! She took care of the house and my father. She visited her children and grandchildren. Her heart and her home were ours whenever we arrived for holidays. Fast forward to 2017. I too take care of my home and husband. I also visit my children and grandchildren. My heart and home are theirs whenever they come for holidays. BUT, I live on a houseboat. I am learning to sail. I am mastering the first 16 movements of tai chi and have joined a band!
5 Retirement Lifestyle Tips
That Don’t Focus On Money
1. Be Honest
- Firstly, accept that retirement is uncharted waters. Your knowledge of retirement is probably based on your parents and TV advertising! Neither of which are predetermined to be your retirement lifestyle.
- Write down what you want
- Write down what don’t you want
- Be clear about what are you willing to compromise on
- Be wary of the advice of writing a retirement mission statement. Don’t leave out the bit that gives you option of doing something you’ve never done before
2. Make An Holistic Assessment
- This includes your social, emotional and physical status right now
- Assessment of your finances is important but it does not have to be a game changer. There are always options. Check out these posts for some ideas
- Accept and embrace that your network of friends will change.
- Bring your family on board for support. However remember your retirement is an emotional change for them too.
- Face your demons and look at the worst case scenario
3. Make It Happen
- First comes the holiday…you don’t have to do anything so you don’t. Don’t panic. Remember when your children were young? How many times did you comfort yourself with the phrase, “Its just a phase, it will pass!”
- Then comes the “Is this it” phase. Yes, it too will pass if you understand that you have the answer. Write this on your wall….“It’s Your Retirement…….Own it!”
- Make it happen is about doing something different. Be careful not to fall into the trap of trying to repeat what you had! Like getting a job.
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Do not define yourself and your options by the past
4. Lighten Up
- Don’t take retirement too seriously (or yourself) Try this quiz to see what I mean
- My post “Retirement plan A obviously shows that cruising the world in perpetual motion is not really on my must do list. If you check out my post on health and fitness adapting works fine.
- Yes, there were times when I felt a failure and went through a “If only” period. This was followed by the slow awakening that I was enjoying myself. Try sticking that in your piggy bank!
5 Accept The Unexpected
- Accept the unexpected as a gift!
- The volunteer sailing club I belong to has a sub branch of racing. My sailing skills are quite limited but I went along and found that I could turn a handle on command. Surprise yourself!
- In my working career (before teaching) I was a nurse so, if I had a pain I took a pill. Now I have the time and the inclination to look outside that box. I’m discovering Tumeric for joint pain. A clear case of not being defined by your past!
- Lastly, my hair. After 40 years of straightening my hair (sellotape in my teens) I have consigned all straightening products to the bin. Gifts come in all shapes and sizes.