While financial security is undeniably crucial for a happy retirement, the essence of a fulfilling retirement lies in crafting a retirement lifestyle that aligns with your passions and aspirations. Retirement is not a one-size-fits-all experience; it's a unique journey tailored to individual retirement goals.
As you begin to think about retirement, take the time to consider some important questions.
- What issues, interests and causes are you passionate about?
- Where and how do you want to contribute?
- What will be your legacy?
Retirement offers a blank canvas to explore new horizons, pursue long-held passions, and redefine your retirement identity. It's an opportunity to embrace new challenges, whether it's traveling the world, mastering a new skill, starting a business, or giving back to your community. Creating a retirement bucket list – a collection of experiences, achievements, and milestones you want to accomplish – can provide a roadmap for your journey. It can serve as a source of inspiration, motivation, and a reminder to live your retirement to the fullest.
Many newly retired also embrace the opportunity to return to the classroom, to find new skills or discover new talents. After a time of learning and exploration, some experience a renewed desire to work and pursue new opportunities and challenges. Some start their own business, and others take on an “encore career” – one that makes good use of your well-developed skills and talents, and provides you with the opportunity to apply them in a new setting that has a social impact, or makes a difference. If, for example, you worked in the corporate world, you may want to use your skills in the non-profit world.
When you leave the working world and turn your attention toward family, friends and hobbies, the desire to contribute in a meaningful way becomes a priority. Volunteering is a great way for you to stay involved and make a contribution. The right volunteer experience can provide you with an opportunity to make new friends, gain recognition for your contributions and add more structure to your days.
This new phase of life should be seen as an adventure and a time to reinvent yourself. Planning and transitioning can take time, and involves testing out different pastimes, jobs and projects. Getting support from peers and loved ones in your life will take on a special significance as you begin to sort out all of your choices. The shift to retirement can be a welcome change of pace and yet it can be challenging to create enough structure to find a sense of satisfaction. Take a realistic look ahead and plan carefully to help achieve your retirement goals.