My Best Retirement Advice

My best retirement advice is very simple: make the most out of this special time in your life.  I sincerely hope that this website will do exactly that for you.  For most people entering retirement, they’ve spent forty years or more working and saving to get to this point in their lives.  If you enjoyed your time at work, you’re very fortunate.  I did not.  In fact, I really dreaded going to work.  I did not like any part of the Corporate America environment.  I was successful and always did well but, even with promotions and greater responsibility, I never did anything that I really enjoyed doing.  That’s nobody’s fault but mine.  I never figured out what I wanted to do and, if you put a gun to my head right now, I still couldn’t tell you what I would choose for a career.  I like to do a lot of things.  I like to write but never thought I was good enough to make a living at it.  I have many interests like traveling, history, photography and reading.  And, although many people have found a way to make money at those things, I was not one of them.  But the one thing that I could do well was plan and I knew that planning for retirement would give me the freedom to enjoy the time when I didn’t have to work anymore.

From Day One, I thoroughly enjoyed retirement.  We traveled south to escape the cold and met a great many people who were doing exactly the same thing.  It’s become our annual tradition to watch our fellow seniors in their packed-up cars and motor homes journeying down to find some warmer temperatures.  What surprised me, however, was how many people mentioned in casual conversation how bored they were.  I was stunned.  I literally could not believe it.  I had spent my whole life at work being told what to do and when to do it and now I had the freedom to do what I wanted.  There was no way I was going to be bored.  And then it occurred to me: I had planned for this day.  I had made lists of things I wanted to do and places I wanted to see.  I felt very sorry for the “lost retirees” who sat and watched television because they were bored.  I decided to put my thoughts down on paper and eventually started this website to help people understand how precious this time in life is and how to make the most of it.  That’s especially true for when you first retire.  Let’s be realistic.  You’re not getting any younger and you may be more physically and mentally capable today than you will be a year from now.  The time to do things and go places is NOW!

My Best Retirement Advice Is To Do This NOW!

So, my best retirement advice is to find a quiet spot and make a list of all the things that you had thought about doing IF you had the time and realize one simple fact: NOW you have the time!  I know a lot of people who will say that they know they have the time, they just don’t have the money.  I have sympathy for that but there are things you can do about that and, at the same time, give yourself something to do and a goal to achieve so that you don’t become another one of those people who say they are bored in retirement.  Life is too good to be bored.

You have many choices in how to spend your time.  You can volunteer at a hospital, church or library.  You can take up a new hobby.  The fulfillment that you get out of those activities will surprise you.  And, if money is an issue, you can get a part-time job or even start a small business.  Most people have closets or a basement full of things they have collected over the years.  Why not sell some of those things to raise funds for that trip you always wanted to take?  You don’t think people will pay for what you have to offer?  One trip to an antique store will prove you wrong on that one.  Don’t be surprised if you see something that you already have with a price tag that is higher than what you thought it was worth!  At the very least, keep an open mind about the possibilities that exist to put some excitement back in your life.  Many of the antique malls rent out space for people who are in exactly the same situation that you’re in.

In starting this website, my only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner.  I enjoy this more than I thought I would although, sometimes, it’s hard to find the time to create more content.  My purpose is to help people enjoy their retirement.  When you think about all the things that you went through to get here, shouldn’t you be willing to make the most out this time?  We’ve been given a gift.  Many people never get this far in life.  We owe it them (and ourselves) to make the most of it. It’s time to look at the possibilities and get out there and make things happen.  It’s time to Enjoy Retired Life!

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