Can You Handle the Freedom of Retirement?
Once you retire, you start to notice that the other people you associate with most are other retirees. Many people work thirty or forty years, and they develop friendships with the people they work with. They’re used to their days having structure and seeing people in the coffee room and then, one day, everything is different. You’re retired and there are no more meetings or conference calls to participate in and there’s no one asking for a one-page summary of that project you’ve been working on. As you approach retirement, of if you’re already there, one question to ask yourself is can you handle the freedom of retirement? Can you thrive in an environment with less structure and, possibly, less interaction with people?
No meetings. No coffee breaks. No projects.
Can you handle the freedom of retirement?
It may sound like a crazy question but it’s a major cause of frustration for many retirees. Even if they looked forward to retirement, they find themselves struggling to fill in the eight or ten hours a day that they used to devote to work. For those who identified themselves with the job they did or the position they held, this can be a cause for concern. What do you do with all of those hours of free time? What happens when you have no project to plan or work on? What happens when you find yourself drinking your morning coffee alone? Can you handle the freedom of retirement?
I sincerely hope that this website will help you through those struggles. Helping you answer questions about what to do with all of that free time is probably our primary purpose, but we do touch on other things such as finances, retirement location and lifestyle plus the need to add purpose and meaning to your life. Sadly, many retirees face some financial problems, and we are the first to say that we do not have the qualifications to be a certified financial planner. But there is some sound advice contained throughout this website about the need to have an accurate retirement budget, a process for cutting costs in retirement as well as looking at options like downsizing and reverse mortgages. The importance of a qualified financial advisor cannot be stressed enough, and too many retirees forego that advice because of the cost. When you ask yourself can you handle the freedom of retirement, one of those points to consider is whether you’re pinching pennies at the risk of losing a greater return? Investment guidance varies in cost but you can usually expect a qualified financial counselor to charge at least one percent of your assets and, while that sounds like a lot, the question is whether they can at least that much in the advice they give and the investments that they make on your behalf. We think nothing about a doctor’s fee, but we hesitate to pay for sound financial advice sometimes. It is something to consider very carefully.
When it comes to where you’re going to live in retirement, there are many options from retirement communities to assisted living facilities, and you should consider your options carefully. When we planned our retirement, we knew that it would be nice to escape the cold winter if at all possible. We were fortunate enough to build our dream home on a parcel of land we had purchased when we were in our fifties. We knew our primary residence was taken care of, but the question was what to do about the winter months and our desire to escape the cold. We looked at many different options as we took our vacations in our later years. We were still working but we had an eye out for possible retirement locations. We loved the southwest, but Florida was closer. We enjoyed the atmosphere of a college town, but we also liked the ocean. We worried about having another house to take care of and the costs of maintaining a second residence. Vacationing was an important part of our family life, and our children will tell you it was something that was always a highlight for them and they enjoy traveling as much as we do. Over the years we purchased some timeshare weeks and became very spoiled with the lifestyle they provided. We didn’t have to deal with small hotel rooms. We had lovely units overlooking wonderful scenery with multiple bedrooms and a full kitchen with a pool and fitness center on the property. Why couldn’t we add some additional timeshare to our portfolio and make it our winter retirement home. We don’t have to stay in the same place every year and have enjoyed Hawaii, the California coast, New Orleans, San Francisco, the beautiful southwest as well as the state of Florida from the panhandle to the Keys. When someone asks us can you handle the freedom of retirement, we just tell them where we’ve spent our winters and they nod in approval and ask us how we did it. Timeshare isn’t for everyone, but it has worked out for us. The important point here is to make a plan for yourself and create your own retirement lifestyle. That not only applies to where you live but also to your time.
Can you handle the freedom of retirement? Most people are referring to the amount of free time that you suddenly have when they ask that question and that was the main reason that I started this website. You are the CEO of your retirement and master of your calendar. Take some care in how you fill your day. Think about the activities you’ll get involved in. Hobbies are great but make sure that your pastimes will challenge you. Keeping your creative spirit alive is essential and whether it’s writing, painting, sculpting or woodworking, make sure you feel a sense of fulfillment when you are in the process of creating your latest work of art. Always make learning new things and improving your skills a top priority. If you want to have a great sense of satisfaction, explore giving your time as a volunteer in a hospital, church or some other organization. You’ll get back far more than you give, and you may just find a new cause to devote your life to. Retirement is a time to become engaged in life in a way that we never had the time to do while we were working. It’s a time to put all our learning to use and find a way to serve others on this journey we call life. Your talents and the skills that you developed over the years can be the gift that someone needs in their life. Find your outlet and feed your spirit. It’s time to Enjoy Retired Life!
Thanks for visiting. If you like what you see here, please tell your friends. If you haven’t done so already, be sure you take The Self Discovery Challenge for Retirement! It’s designed to help you make the most of this wonderful time of your life. You’re never too old to discover something new about yourself!
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