7 Priceless Tips for Your Joyful Retirement
7 Priceless Tips for Your Joyful Retirement
The best way to read this article is to score yourself on a scale of 0 to 5 on how well you have planned to do each of the 7 priceless tips. Once you have finished the article, begin tackling the items with the lowest scores or the ones that are the most important to you.
Retirement blesses us with time to do what we envision to do what we truly crave. We’re free to follow our heart’s true desire and find joy while doing so. However, finding joy in retirement goes beyond finding a beach house to recline or having more spare time than you know what to do with it. Here are 6 priceless tips for a joyful retirement.
Scoring 1 = not at all, 2 = minimally, 3= somewhat, 4 = a good amount, 4 = a great amount
1) Know What You Want to Accomplish During Retirement (score____)
This tip may feel counterintuitive. You have just spent your 30 or more years working and now you have to define what you want to accomplish? What gives? Too many people miss the opportunity to make retirement meaningful. It doesn’t have to be complicated; it could be something as simple as helping or enjoying more with my grandchildren. Having a purpose will add meaning and it has been shown to extend your life.
2) Cut Your Spending by Budgeting (score____)
A lot has been said concerning money and happiness. While money doesn’t equate to happiness, it’s one vital component that is surely helpful to reduce stress for a more joyful retirement. A study by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College on what makes retirees happy reaffirms the importance of money.
Many people go on a spending spree the minute they get their retirement money and then end up without sufficient funds as early as a few months later. You should want to require budgeting your money and spend wisely, as there wouldn’t be any monthly paychecks anymore.
3) Maintain a Daily Routine (score____)
Indeed, one of retirement’s most enticing benefits is the freedom to do whatever you desire. However, it’s easy to fall into unhealthy patterns which might be detrimental to your health. To prevent this, doctors recommend following a healthy daily routine.
Incorporate all the activities you love into the routine as well as other healthy activities recommended by your doctor. Doing this would help you avoid the feeling of purposelessness most retirees admit to feeling a few months into retirement.
4) Stay in Touch (score____)
A study by the University of Chicago showed that extreme loneliness increases a retiree’s chances of early death by as much as 14%. Being retired takes you out of most of your social networks and cuts down on the amount of human connection we make daily.
Extra effort should be put into staying in touch with a thriving social community as the effects of extreme loneliness can be deadly. Examples of this can be your family, former colleagues, faith groups, group affiliations, or community volunteering.
5) Stay Active (score____)
This is very different from staying in touch, staying active entails playing a role. It can be in the family, your house of faith, or the community. Staying active offers a twofold benefit, as it helps you socialize and gives you a sense of purpose. Doctors say both are vital to the happiness and well-being of a retiree.
6) Stay Fit by Exercising (score____)
While exercise is significant at all periods in our lives, it’s even more necessary when you’re retired. Exercising the body is significant to both your physical and mental well-being. Research has shown that frequent exercise helps ward off numerous health issues and boosts your energy levels. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) recommends four types of exercise for retirees.
7) Train Your Brain (score____)
Most people go into retirement thankful for the endless hours of spare time they’ll have and anticipating just how they’ll spend those hours. Many of them might decide to pursue an abandoned hobby, read books, or learn new things.
These lofty aspirations most times get abandoned a few months into retirement. However, researchers at the Harvard Medical School have proven numerous times that tasking your brain has unending benefits. It keeps your memory strong and keeps your brain functioning at high levels for a richer and more rewarding retirement.
This can be reading, painting, doing puzzles, or learning a new skill. Besides the apparent benefit, of tasking your brain, the joy and sense of progress when you chase these pursuits have their own benefits.
You could join a community or group that shares similar passions and create new social connections. A group has the added advantage of pushing you past your comfort zone, which is great for stimulating the brain.
Conclusion
It’s possible to have a joyful retirement. All it requires is some effort to continually do more of what you need to do rather than just what you want to do. Your brain and your body will thank you for this. When you make these optimal lifestyle choices, you’ll be set to enjoy a joyful retirement filled with happiness and purpose.
How well did you score? Total______
Action Item: Begin tackling the items with the lowest scores or the ones that are the most important and impactful to you.
I hope you found these 7 Priceless Tips for Your Joyful Retirement valuable. “Failing to plan, means planning to fail” Sir Winston Churchill
Dr. Kevin Gazzara — is a senior partner and founder of Magna Leadership Solutions, based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is the co-author of “The Leader of OZ” www.leaderofoz.com and Ready, Set, Get Hired. He is an international speaker and recognized as a Management & Leadership Expert and a Certified Positive Intelligence Executive Coach. Kevin has been a professor at 6 Universities developing and teaching programs to help others achieve their full potential. You can follow Kevin and Magna Leadership Solutions on our website: www.magnaleadership.com, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/doctorkevin, on our Facebook Fan Page at https://www.facebook.com/MagnaLeadership or join my LinkedIn Network https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevingazzara/
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Thank you,
Dr. Kevin Gazzara
Senior Partner at Magna Leadership Solutions and Certified Positive Intelligence Coach
