Ease Your Way into Retirement
When most people think of retirement they think of a “final day” of work and perhaps a party. The retiree goes from working forty or more hours per week down to zero overnight. It’s not a bad idea, however, to ease your way into retirement instead of the “instant transition” path that is the traditional method. Of course, your employer has to be open to the idea but, if you’re able, many people find the gradual exit from the working world easier to adjust to than waking up one morning with nowhere to go. The reality is that retirement is a big adjustment. The fact you may have looked forward to this day all of your working life (I definitely did) does not mean that the transition from worker to retiree will be instant happiness.
The fact is that people usually have at least fifty hours to fill when they are suddenly relieved of the responsibility of working for a living. Not only is the time you spent at your job, but it was also the time that you took to get to the job and everything related to your position from travel, weekend work or those “crisis” moments when everyone was expected to put in a little more time to help the business or organization get through a rough spot. If you have nothing to replace it, you could find yourself facing long days with nothing to do. This website was started because I believer everyone should take a proactive role in shaping their retirement lifestyle. If you ease your way into retirement, you might find it to be a more gradual and comfortable transition. You’ll still have that big chunk of time to fill but you’ll be able to adjust to it gradually.
Ease your way into retirement with an extended vacation.
Retirement is a time for doing all the things you love to do as often as you want to do them. Windows of opportunity for extensive travel open up like never before. Two- or three-week cruises or month-long stays in another country can be considered without worrying about time away from work. It can bring a smile to your face just thinking about it but there’s one piece of reality that you have to keep in mind and that’s figuring out what you’re going to be doing all day. On a cruise or travel package there are usually activities and tours planned but, if you’ve booked a hotel or house rental on your own, you’ve got to have something to keep you busy and add purpose to your life. Many people think that they can read or play golf all day but that begins to wear thin after a while. My advice is that you need to develop two or three hobbies that challenge you physically and mentally to keep your life exciting and fulfilled. It’s ideal if they are “portable” and by that, I mean that they can be done just about anywhere. If you ease your way into retirement, you can “test” whether this is the case or not. Writing and photography are easily transportable and can be done just about anywhere. Hobbies such as painting or woodworking are not ideal candidates if you’re going to be on the road a lot. It’s not that they can’t work, you’ll just have to figure out how you can do those wonderful activities as you travel about in your Golden Years and always be on the lookout to make another intriguing activity a part of your life.
I came to realize all these things almost by accident. I had prepared for the fact that I had to find meaningful activities to fill the many hours that I spent at a job that was no longer part of my life. One of those activities was writing which is something that I enjoy doing. When I turned in my “company laptop”, it made sense to get my own and that gave me the ability to write whatever I wanted wherever I went. I had not quite settled on exactly what I would write but my first instinct was short fiction. It became apparent rather quickly that the market for this type of writing was not as big as it was when I first stumbled upon it in college. I loved those little mystery magazines like Ellery Queen and there was one sponsored by Alfred Hitchcock. I realized I wasn’t as creative as I thought so, although I liked to write, it would have to be something other than that particular genre. The news of the day gave me an opportunity to write many “letters to the editor” and some of them were published which made me feel like I had been able to voice my opinion. I eventually found the world of website creation and decided to start my own. Although I think it’s a great idea if you can ease your way into retirement, I didn’t ease my way into anything. I started on this website six years ago and I have been working on it ever since. This has become a hobby with a purpose and more creative and challenging than I ever thought possible. Starting a website might be something to consider as you ease your way into retirement. It can even create a little extra income to fund all of your other retirement activities. This period of your life is meant to be enjoyed to the fullest so take the time to consider your options and find two or three hobbies that will challenge you and bring a sense of fulfillment during this wonderful time of your life. 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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