Ah, retirement! It seems as if you’ve been working your entire life to get to this moment—when you get to sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Retirement almost feels like the ending of one life and the beginning of a new and exciting one.
While we are all about taking all the time you want and need to relax and do absolutely nothing, retirement is also a great opportunity to explore new things. You have the perfect opportunity to take up new hobbies, travel, and spend more time with loved ones than when you were busy working.
Here are seven ideas for things you can do after you retire to celebrate life in a whole new way.
1. Travel
The way the modern working world is makes it difficult to travel much. You get a week or two off a year, but that certainly isn’t enough to give your wanderlusting soul the adventure it wants. Guess what? Retirement is a great time to make up for lost time and explore the world.
You may already have a list of places you’ve been dying to visit, or you may find that the excitement of researching new places brings you great joy, too.
And if you’d rather revisit places you know you love, that’s still a fabulous way to travel.
2. Volunteer
It may seem like after working for all those years for someone else, you want time to do things for yourself, and we absolutely agree – prioritizing you is one of the beautiful things about retirement. The work is done, the kids are all grown up, and you have just yourself to care for and enjoy.
However, with all that extra time on your hands, you’ll have plenty to give to others through volunteering. This is an ideal way to find a cause that you’re passionate about and donate your time and/or skills to help others. Whether it’s kids, dogs, the environment, or anything else you feel connected to, volunteering is the ideal way to feel good about helping others. It’s a win-win situation for all those involved.
3. Start a Business
We know – it sounds crazy. After you’ve just spent all those years working, now you’re going to work more? But hear us out. Chances are good that you worked a job your whole life that wasn’t your passion; that wasn’t what lit your soul on fire. And now that you’re retired, you have the time to do work that does light your soul on fire.
So take this opportunity to explore your entrepreneurial side and see if there are opportunities to start your own little business or even consult. You don’t have to dive deep into a full-blown company. Just start small with something you love and see how it grows.
4. Get Active
Being active isn’t just important when you’re young and energetic. In fact, being active becomes even more critical as you age. It helps the aging process feel more graceful and actually slows it down.
Exercise is critical to keeping the body and mind youthful. There are countless ways to stay active. You can take extra long walks through your neighborhood and explore things you’ve never had the time to do. You can join a gym and enjoy pushing your body in the company of others. Even better yet, you can start taking exercise classes that help you stay social to keep you young in more ways than just your body.
5. Read
As cliche as it sounds, retirement is the perfect time to channel your inner bookworm and tackle the reading list you never had time for.
You may discover that you love an entirely new genre of books in your retirement reading, and no matter what that genre is, we guarantee you will learn a lot while reading. This is important for keeping your mind active and young.
If you aren’t sure what to read, check out Sandy’s book selections for some inspiration.
6. Learn a New Skill
Have you always wished you were better in the kitchen but didn’t have the mental or physical energy to make it happen? Have you always wished you could learn to play golf but didn’t have the time for it? Well, guess what? Now you can.
Retirement is the perfect time to take advantage of your free time and use it to your, well, advantage! Have fun with whatever skill you learn – remember, it doesn’t have to make you money; it just has to be something you enjoy.
7. Spend Time with Loved Ones
Chances are good that you’ll automatically find yourself doing lots of this, but in case you need a reminder, we are here to give that to you. If you were a busy bee before retirement and always wished you had more time to spend with your family and friends, now you have it!
This is a great way to strengthen relationships in your life and create new ones.
Read More:
It’s Never Too Late to Plan For Retirement
