Financial security is only one aspect of successful retirement. So much emphasis has been placed on money that many people retiring have adequate financial resources but no direction, no plan, no purpose or meaning to their lives. Each day looks just like the last. I have observed this, read about it and heard people share their stories about this phenomenon.
Many adverse situations that begin as serious problems can actually create new opportunities in life. Why not turn a negative into a positive by using an economic downturn as an opportunity to reconsider what you had always planned for in your retirement years? Is moving to another location what is really best for you? Is stopping work completely your ultimate objective?
Maybe you could retire when you originally planned by thinking outside the box. When you created your original retirement plan, did you really know what you wanted? How many of us have made important decisions in the excitement of the moment, only to reflect back on them at a later time with regrets?
In a new book by Mark Freedman entitled Encore, he describes a number of people whose lives were destined for a traditional retirement. However, through unexpected life circumstances, a downturn in the economy or injustices they experienced in their work environment, everything changed. These individuals used the gift of this extra time and adversity to create opportunities that made a significant difference in their world. They experienced a more successful retirement than they had ever envisioned. It took stopping, reevaluating and changing direction to make this happen. After they re-examined their changed circumstances, they were determined not to use the next 30 years of their lives playing golf and getting lost in a leisurely life. They decided to make a difference on their own terms.