It’s always great when you finally get to the point where you can stop work and just do what you want. But after a lifetime of work, it can sometimes be a bit tricky to know what to do. What’s more, you’re constantly barraged with questions about what you are going to do by friends and family. If you don’t have a plan, it can feel a little uncomfortable.
Here, we’re going to look at how to deal with the question “what will you do when you retire?” Let’s take a look at what you can get up to.
What Will You Do When You Retire?
Volunteer
When retirement arrives, you’re suddenly able to give more of your time to your community and good causes. There’s plenty of things that you can do. You can help out at the local library, you can mentor children, or you can join a charity. Think carefully about the type of organization that motivates you. What have you been passionate about during your life? How can you direct your efforts towards fulfilling these passions in your volunteering efforts? Perhaps you’ve always wanted to do something to combat childhood diseases. You could join a fundraising campaign for a charity that researches cures for these illnesses.
Take Up A Hobby
The best hobbies for retirees are those that you can do in conjunction with other people. Horse racing, for instance, is a great place to start. There’s nothing more exciting than knowing you’re going horse racing tomorrow with friends. Race day always brings a sense of energy and excitement. And you get to meet lots of interesting and talented people who share your interest. Other team activities like golf are a great option too. Why not just do both?
Start A Business
You might think that all entrepreneurs are in their 20s and 30s. But the truth is that more companies are set up by people in the 60 plus age bracket than any other. That comes as a surprise to many people, but when you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. People in that age group have worked all their lives. They’ve usually got a pot of money saved up. And often, they’ve been in business for a long time. With both experience and savings, starting a business is tempting. Many people go their entire careers wishing that they could be their own boss. In fact, one of the reasons why people are so desperate to retire is so that they can escape their job, not their work.
Make Some New And Interesting Friends
For the last forty years, you’ve spent most of your time working. It meant that you didn’t always have much time to spend with your friends. But now that you’re retired, you’ve suddenly got a lot of time on your hands. It means that you’ve got more time to invest in the people that you know.
Retirees, however, don’t have to stick with their regular circle of friends. They can branch out and invest in relationships with people they otherwise wouldn’t have time for. Making lots of relationships like this will help you stay younger for longer.
EXACTLY! Any time I tell someone I’m planning on retiring early, they say “well, what are you going to do with all your time?” I think of the line from Napoleon Dynamite: “Whatever I feel like I wanna do, GOSH.” 😀
Seriously, though, I’m totally 100% sure I can think of something. International travel, local travel, taking weird classes, volunteering, growing the world’s largest pumpkin. There are a million things to do other than sitting on the couch doing crossword puzzles (not that there’s anything wrong with that every once in a while, either).
Picking up hobbies that involve other people is a great tip, too! Hobbies are fun, but the friendships are even better. Great post!
Thanks for the comment Yetisaurus. I’m still chuckling about your Napoleon Dynamite answer, “Whatever I feel like I wanna do, GOSH.” PERFECT ANSWER!
Tommy
Since my layoff back in February, I’ve had plenty to do and many things on the list I could do. I’ve got a backlog of projects for the house/shed/yard of which many are time consuming. Also I work my side hustle job a few days a week. Plus many personal interests/ hobbies that were hard to have the energy for when I was working full time. I wouldnt say I’m actually retired yet although I could probably be if I wanted to. Not sure what Im going to do just yet. I don’t mind working to a point, but 40+ hours a week really takes away from many other important parts of your life. Its been nice though not having to run my life with military precision to keep up with the job and everything else. That game gets old after a while. I’ve had a little more space to do things at a slower and enjoyable pace. I’ve got plenty to do and get done with no sense of boredom in sight. At least I’m doing things for myself instead of working for the lousy corporate machine.
Thanks for the comment Arrgo. I am in the the same space as you are. So many projects and plans that there is never room for boredom or wondering what to do with myself. However I do consider myself retired even though I am always open to opportunities that align with my interests and passions. I find that as time has passed that my work related interests have extremely narrowed and any 40 hour work-week obligation is not desired nor welcome. I am more focused on all my personal goals and projects. I really do enjoy waking up when I wake up and making the alarm clock only a tool for early travel or social plans. I truly loved my 8 hours a week Beer-Tender gig that I did for 3 months this past Summer. That’s the beauty of retirement. Anything is possible if we stay curious and keep an open mindset. Early Retirement while young and healthy enough to enjoy it is an adventure.
Tommy