When you retire, you are beginning a new journey of your life. This journey can be very long or short depending on how long you live. As such, your retirement path doesn’t have to be that tough, however you can make it manageable and very enjoyable or hard. However with proper planning and action the journey will be awesome.
It’s a fact that retirement represents a major change in everyone’s lifestyle but it also gives someone a major new asset (time), which is very precious!
Everyone approaches retirement from differing points of view, even if you have been looking forward to it, at the end of the day you can feel a sense of loss and you don’t know what comes next.
However, whatever the feelings, retirement is probably the most significant opportunity in our lives. It’s a new and potentially a very enjoyable phase in which you and not other people manage your time. You are the one who decides what to do, when and how! You have the most precious item in your hands that’s time.
Main Elements to Consider There are some simple steps that can make a big difference to your whole life and give you plenty of new opportunities. It’s important/vital to plan ahead for this significant change of lifestyle. Some of the things you would need to consider:
Adjusting to a New LifestyleWhat will my financial needs be?When should I retire?New goals and routinesPersonal and family relationshipsManaging your time
How do you want to spend your time during retirement? We will consider this in more detail later? Do you have a plan? How will your relationship with your family and friends change? Planning is very important in order to enjoy your retirement, you need to have a good structure of your free time. As such planning is vital. Retirement shouldn’t be treated as the end of your life. You just think of one thing, i.e. being put six feet under into a box. You need to think positively, as you are starting a new chapter of your life. You need to plan your daily life. Have something to look forward every day. When you wake up in the morning you should be excited and thank the Lord for giving you another wonderful day and that today I am doing ABC etc. That is living life with a purpose not and not just, surviving, but you should always say I love my life and enjoy your precious commodity –time.
| The opportunities for leisure and learning Paid or voluntary work – e.g. work in community, charity or form a group to help other people Hobbies & interests Holidays Further education |
| Home/House Scaling down? – How many rooms do you need/ move to a smaller property rent the big house, or rent some of the rooms and have live-in tenants. This will help to reduce the outgoing expenses. You don’t need a big place. Ideally our goal when addressing the questions above should be to ensure that what you choose to do keeps you physically and mentally fit, maintains or widens your social circles and that you do things you enjoy most rather than thinking you have to do things you don’t like. Why? Because time is the most precious resource we all have and it is also the one we have the most control over even though we may not know how long we may live. |
| Is Everyone Prepared for Retirement? I recall when I started work, there were officers who were very powerful with very good salaries. They used company cars with drivers and all the toppings that came with the positions. It seemed to me they had everything, however, the only thing they were busy doing or planning was showing off how they were enjoying their fame and powers. Planning for future was not part of their dreams. Retirement was at 55 years those days. I remember one of a very powerful officer retired. Unfortunately, while enjoying the life he forgot to plan for his future. His retirement path was tough, he didn’t have anywhere to stay as he forgot even to build a house where he would live after retiring. Just imagine what a retirement path would it be, from living in a spacious house with everything then suddenly you move into a rented accommodation a one bed flat or even a bedsit as you cannot afford to rent a full house. What a contrast? This boss found himself, he could not take all his possessions as they couldn’t fit in that tiny accommodation, They had to rent a storage and some ask relatives to help with storage. After a few year in retirement one day I met him in town, I couldn’t recognise him he was completely worn out, wearing slippers, a shirt had lost its colour. However, due to respect, I didn’t want to show that I was very surprised seeing him in that state, sometimes you have to pretend that you didn’t notice anything. Just thought to myself what a path to retirement did he choose? He was in a mess, just imagine this’s a person who had every opportunity to prepare himself, but he didn’t do any planning. He didn’t have any vision of his future or his family’s future. I had a few pennies in my puss, gave him and got his contacts so that I could send him a lit money during the week. One lesson, that encounter taught me was that was how is my retirement path? How do I prepare myself, had it to be hard and difficult like that or it can be manageable. As that boss he cannot have his family at his rented accommodation there is no space. He cannot enjoy his retirement. |
