“Once in a while it really hits people that they don’t have to experience the world in the way they have been told to.” – Alan Keightley
Like many people, my husband and I looked forward to retirement. But the more we thought about it over the years, it was beginning to seem like more of a hassle than anything else.
At that time, we were content with our lives, settled in our jobs, and our children were just leaving the family nest. Why would we want to transition to a lifestyle we knew very little about?
And besides, our perception was that our only real challenge would be financial. Meaning, if we could afford to retire, then everything else would fall into place.
Wow, did we have it wrong.
Over the last couple of years, we’ve learned that the retirement picture goes way beyond financial stability. It’s an adventure that can be whatever you make it.
At any age, the retirement picture can be a chance to expand horizons, or sit in a hammock . . . travel, or stay at home . . . reinvent yourself, or worry.
But it can be difficult if there isn’t at least a little planning.
The transition process for my husband and me was a little slow. When we were empty-nesters, we decided to start doing things we hadn’t done in years. Like we designated Friday night as “Date Night.” We also took up ballroom dance lessons two nights a week.
We had great fun and met a lot of fun people, but it wasn’t exactly serious retirement planning.
However, when we hit the soon-to-be-retiree phase, our discussions became more focused. “Which one of us should retire first, or should we retire at the same time?” “Should we keep our jobs or find less stressful employment?” “What would we do with our time without getting bored?”
We had lots of unanswered questions. “How do we find out about taking Social Security?” When should we start taking it?” “Should we keep the house?” “Where do we want to live?”
These life-changing questions left us overwhelmed. We had too many choices and not enough answers. But one thing we knew was that we were wasting our precious time.
Now, my husband and I wish we had started planning our retirement sooner because many of the answers fall into place when the timing is right.
For example, one of our biggest concerns was financial because of our losses during stock market and real estate bubbles during 2007 and 2008. However, now that our children were out of the house, we’ve found ways to live more simply. With lifestyle changes, we don’t need as much income as what we thought we would.
Following are four tips that we’ve learned during the last few years of transitioning to retirement:
- Start planning what you want your retirement to look like. There are LOTS of choices out there for people who want to reinvent
- Don’t listen to other who don’t have your vision because they can slow your progress.
- Consider what you’re going to get rid of, because there’s probably going to be a downsizing It will be surprising how possessions will have less importance as the years roll by.
- Dust off that meaningful hobby or activity that you haven’t had time for. Be an “expert” at something that you love. If you don’t have a hobby, take up a new interest – gourmet cooking, writing, photography, strength training, whatever — because it might open new avenues for your life that you’d never imagine!
How about you? Have you started your transition to the wonderful world of retirement? What are your suggestions about what’s worked or what you would do differently?
Ron and Shelli enjoying semi-retirement in Albuquerque
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