The Challenges of Retirement

It’s no secret that I love retirement.  If you wander around this website for any length of time, you realize that retirement is something I greatly appreciate every single day.  But I’m also realistic and understand that the challenges of retirement are significant and, sadly, some people feel overwhelmed by them.  Certainly, illness and aging are serious matters, and I will never underestimate the impact of either one.  But there are other challenges that can be overcome with persistence and a positive attitude.  And I will challenge anyone who says that this wonderful period of life is boring.  No, in my way of thinking, there are too many things to do to ever be bored.

You can turn the challenges of retirement into opportunities.

Finances may be one of the challenges of retirement that trouble people the most.  We all heard the advice to save as much as possible for this time of life but, for one reason or another, there are some people who have come up short in their finances, and it may not be through any fault of their own.  Some even say that they have no money to do anything and it leads to endless days with nothing interesting to do.  For those who find themselves identifying with that sentiment, I have some advice that may not be too comforting because I think everyone should take control of their life and become proactive in solving their problems.  For those who are short of money, my answer is to go out and make some and have some fun in the process.

Look at your financial situation as a challenge and create a strategy to turn some of your assets into cash or even start a business to create some income.  They are both easy to do and can be one of the most enjoyable activities you can find.  You’ll never be bored again once you see the first dollars flow into your bank account.  You can start with some of the things you’ve collected over the years.  For some people, one of the challenges of retirement is to find a way to clear out a basement or attic.  Wouldn’t it be great to get rid of those things and make money at the same time?  And I’m not talking about some garage sale.  Technology and the internet have brought the world to your front door and some of those crazy things you’ve got hidden away may be precisely what someone is looking for.  My wife found this out by accident.  She found some old Christmas ornaments and was going to take them to the Thrift Store until she did a search on one of the items and found out someone was selling it for over a hundred dollars.  She was stunned.  By the end of the next day, she had pocketed over two hundred dollars for five items she was just going to drop off at the Thrift Store in town.  We are fortunate to not have money problems in retirement but the excitement that she got in making those sales gave her a whole new perspective about cleaning out the basement.  The good part was that we had a very nice dinner at a restaurant that is one of our favorites.  You can’t tell me that it isn’t nice to have a few extra dollars coming in once in a while.

The internet has opened up a whole range of possibilities for seniors who are looking for the challenge of a small business without the overhead of a store or the headaches of employees. Websites are extremely popular with retirees, and I can tell you from personal experience that it’s a very enjoyable activity and, not surprisingly, I have never turned down any money generated by one of the visitors to any of the websites that I’ve had.  It’s a great way to keep your mind active and your interests alive if you have any subjects or interests that you’re passionate about.  If you travel, you can write about those experiences and post pictures while giving advice on your personal favorites.  Travel the rivers of Europe reviewing restaurants, touring castles or visiting the wonderful vineyards that dot the countryside. If your website is successful, you may even generate enough revenue to further fund your exploration of this wonderful world we live in.

Cooking is a very popular topic for a website, and we know a few people who do cooking demonstrations or even just offer recipes that they create on their own.  I have spent my retirement researching all of the topics that have interested me over the years.  History is the world’s greatest soap opera, and it has been great fun to visit so many of the places that I used to read about.  You have no idea what a thrill it was for a kid who slept in his Davy Crockett outfit to walk through the Alamo for the first time.  I almost did a website on historical sites but decided to just focus on retirement so I wouldn’t limit myself to what I would be able to write about.  Incidentally, if you like to write, the internet is definitely something you need to explore further.  From courses on how to write or markets to write for, there is no shortage of interesting turns your life might take if you are courageous enough to take the first step.  There are very real challenges of retirement but the fear of failing at this point should not be one of them. You have absolutely nothing to lose and a whole new life to gain so why not give it a try?  It’s time to Enjoy Retired Life!

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