Passion and purpose are keys

For some, retirement brings to mind hours of fishing, reading a stack of books or playing with the grandchildren. Others look forward to the day where they don’t have a boss to answer to and can make their own schedule. Whatever retirement looks like to you, it’s a wonderful time to assess what the next part of your life will look like.

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One of the themes that run through a variety of books and articles written about this topic is finding out who you are and what matters to you as a person. It sounds a little intimidating, but it’s really just listening to your own voice and finding what resonates with you. Having purpose and passion will make your retirement a positive experience.

It’s also important to give yourself time and some flexibility to find what works. It may take a couple of tries (and years!) to find a new hobby that really excites you or to figure out if volunteering is what makes your heart happy. That exploration can be a source of fun in itself during retirement. Now you have the time to indulge in different passions, meet new people and try out ideas.

Here are some ways to get started:

Retirement is a perfect time to re-invent yourself.

If you always thought you would be a good teacher, look into helping at a neighborhood school. Or perhaps you’ve always wanted to live at the ocean. Pack up your swimsuit and towels and put some sand between your toes.

Ask yourself if you want to set some goals.

Learning Italian is a great goal in time for your next big trip. Or take ice skating lessons, pick up knitting or discover the fine points of photography.

Plan new adventures.

Before retiring, you may have had the constraints of two or three weeks of vacation that you earned at your job. Now, you can go anywhere any time during the year, which opens up a world of possibilities.

Invest in your health.

With your free time, now there’s no excuse not to exercise. Walk, take a dance class, learn to play tennis or pickleball. Moving your body will help your mental health and your overall wellbeing.

Get help through reading.

If you would like to get views of how people have approached retirement and what to do next, there are a number of books on the market that explore this concept. These include:

• “ReFired, not Retired: Re-ignite your Zest for Life” by Phyllis May
• “The Best Is Yet To Be: Discovering the Secret to a Creative, Happy Retirement” by Mike Bellah, Ph.D.
• “Refire! Don’t Retire: Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life” by Kenneth H. Blanchard and Morton Shaevitz
• “My Life After Work: Retiring from work, not life” by Leona Bergstrom and Richard Bergstrom

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