Few people say “That’s unimportant to me.” Instead, they offer excuses like “I’m too busy” or “maybe next time” as a way to wiggle out of an uncomfortable situation looking good.
Some people haven’t seriously thought about what is important or what is unimportant to them in a very long time. As you prepare for retirement, it’s important to be honest with yourself and others. Ask the hard questions. Take time to formulate answers that are uniquely your own, not what is expected of you by your partner, family, or friends. Be willing to say something is unimportant to you or “that’s not something I’m interested in doing” because something else fills you with passion and purpose.
That’s why I have repeatedly encouraged blog readers to look at these six life arenas:
• Career and Work
• Family and Friends
• Health and Wellness
• Leisure Pursuits
• Financial Planning
• Personal Development
In order for your life to be successful, retired or not, these six life arenas need to be in balance. You must find the correct substitute for career and work after you retire. It can be working part time, volunteering, mentoring, or whatever you want it to be.
While you concentrate on how you will fill the time that was previously occupied by your career, don’t ignore the importance of family and friends. It’s hard to find a substitute for them!
You may choose to be a couch potato in retirement. What you are really saying is health and wellness are unimportant to you at the moment. However, there is no quick fix for years of neglecting to exercise one’s body and brain or fuel one’s cells with healthy food.
This is not to say that all leisure activities are bad. Find leisure pursuits that expand your friendships, your skills, your muscle tone, or your horizons.
What you choose to do will depend on your financial planning and what you are comfortable spending. Walking costs much less than a gym or golf membership. AARP offers both financial planning advice and a variety of no-cost and low-cost activities.
Don’t put personal development in the “too busy” column because learning new things is important to your sense of purpose and your ability to be engaged with the world around you. It may also help you recareer successfully. Read more at “What is recareering?”
Studies consistently indicate that people who are thankful live longer more successful lives. What do you recognize as the important positive aspects of each of the six life arenas listed above? What are you thankful for?