When you retire from work and become an “retired person”, you may either wonder how you are going to fill your days, or on the other hand, find that there is so much to do that you hardly have enough time to do what you really planned to do during your retirement.
So what can you do to ensure that you don’t waste your time and yet have enough time to do plenty that all so are able to relax and reflect.
What have you always wanted to do?
During your retirement you have at last chance to fulfil the dreams you have had all your life. So make a list of them, a separate piece of paper for each one, and right underneath what you have to do in order to achieve those things.
What you have to learn? Where can you do that? When will you do it?
What is your legacy?
When you retire you begin to think about getting older and the inevitability of dying. How do you want people to remember you? What would you leave behind when you are no longer here?
When you think about the answers to these questions you may realise what you have to do now during your retirement.
What you have to do to start?
If you know what you want to learn the important thing is to start doing it. Sometimes that is the most difficult step to take. You may have set yourself a step to large so ask yourself ‘what do I have to do before I can do that?’ keep asking that question until you decide on something that will only take you a few moments and I can do right now. It’s amazing how quickly you can move on to the next and the next step once you have taken that step forward.
What will keep you motivated?
Once you’ve made a start, you’ll find it moderately easy to keep going. However, some people find that after the first burst of enthusiasm that they lose the incentive to continue. Think about what will keep you motivated. Is there somebody who can keep you on track? It could be a phone call from a friend or relative who asks how you getting on, for example. Another way would be to find a buddy who wants to achieve something similar to you and who would be willing to support you if you support them.
I think it’s important to have some kind of activity that has an edge, such as earning money or raising money. You need a way to keep score.
In my experience, retired people often lose focus and get caught up in trivial things. Then they drive away potential friends who are still working and a vicious cycle gets created.
If you’ve had a responsible job that required intellectual energy, the contrast will be even stronger. Once you stop moving forward, you stand still or move backward.
Cathy, I agree absolutely with your comment. When I left Medicine I wasn’t sure what to do instead until I discovered Coaching doctors and writing books and articles, mainly for doctors but others too!