Retirement is not just about numbers

Retirement isn’t just about the numbers (have I saved enough, how much can I spend). It’s a new chapter in your life that can last 30 years or more. You need to consider what you’re retiring to, not just what you’re retiring from.  I have talked about this in other posts since I worked hard in my career and some said that I was a workaholic, and it took me years to fully retire.

“The three components of happiness are something to do, someone to love, and something to look forward to.” – Gordon Livingston.

Some of the things that I think help when you retire:

·   Build strong relationships with friends and family.

·   Foster good health by moving, checking in with your medical team and following their advice.

·   If you haven’t achieved financial independence, learn to live within your new means.

·   Reignite your sense of adventure, remember you have years of good health ahead of you and you should embrace this new stage  of your journey

·   Discover your purpose This is where you really define who you are, what you want to do and create meaningful goals for your retirement.

Retirement can be challenging for those who haven’t given much thought to how they plan to spend the next chapter of their lives. Spouses aren’t on the same page. Career-driven individuals lose their sense of purpose. Prolonged leisure time gets boring.

Think about how you want to spend your retirement years. That could mean travelling the world, climbing mountains, running marathons, starting a business, and never stop working. But it could also mean a more relaxing retirement surrounded by friends and family.

Retiring soon?

The odds are that if you are retiring soon, (within the next 10 to 15 years) you have not saved enough money to fully retire with the lifestyle you are used to when you were working. Most older Americans and Canadians have not saved enough for retirement, but there are signs that younger Canadians and Americans are taking notice and are starting to save. So a key to happy retirement for those of you who have not saved could be not retiring. Since you will have to work, accept it. This means changing your attitude toward work. So when you are working you work because you want to, not because you have to work. , If you want to achieve balance, health, and purpose in your life after full-time employment it may be necessary to change your attitude about work.

Retirees are living longer than ever before and many will have to finance as many years in retirement as they had in their entire working career. So, the old idea of full-stop retirement, going from 100 percent work mode to 100 percent leisure mode, is neither sustainable nor for many desirable. Besides, many studies have shown that those who stay engaged, challenged, and stimulated stay healthier and live longer. Continuing to work to some degree after you have left your full-time career can actually improve your health and increase your lifespan.

Instead of continuing to run the organizational rat race or being stuck on the treadmill of life, you need to learn how to break through the finish line of financial independence or learning to live within your new budget.  By doing this you can plan your own blend between work and play that each you have intentionally design for yourself.

Moving to stay healthy

Staying healthy as you age is not easy, we are subject to many chronic illnesses that may prevent us from being active. I have friends who still go to the gym every day when they can. My brothers who are all also seniors are still active. One of them runs and indicated he is going to start doing marathons again. Another still plays tennis and last year one the Provincial championship for those over 70. I still walk at least 5km a day. Down from last year when I was walking 7Km a day. We are all still active and luckily we are all still healthy.

I have been active all of my life but not as active as my friends, but I know people who are not active, and it is hard to start to be active when you retire if you have not been active when you were working. So, a key to staying healthy in retirement is to be active. For those of us who have been active all of our lives, this is easy. For those individuals that have not been active all their lives, the key point to being active is to start moving. Moving does not mean that the person has to enter road races. Moving means get outside and walk your dog. Every day when I go for my walk there are many people out walking their dogs. This appears to be a very popular form of exercise.

If you don’t have a dog, maybe you can take the stairs instead of an escalator, or elevator, to the next floor level. One of the benefits of walking up and downstairs is that the extra height of the steps builds muscle strength in the legs.

 Walking is a great exercise, you get a chance to see your neighbours say, hello and stop and talk. If you know your neighbour well,  ask them to join you on a walk. Walking in a neighbourhood for several blocks lets you actually see the homes and yards that you may never appreciate driving in a car.

Doing a little yard work, like raking leaves, mowing the lawn, planting flowers, is just as beneficial as going for a walk. If you have a tree in your yard, then picking up branches is good because it helps keep you limber when you bend over. For extra benefit plant a garden, and after a month or so, you can reap the rewards of your earlier efforts.

A friend of mine has an exercise bike that he uses well he watches TV. I find exercise bikes boring so I don’t have one. However, one easy thing to do while watching television is doing a little exercise during the commercials. Have you noticed that commercial breaks are now almost five minutes long? While in five minutes you can do some simple standing up, doing some sit-ups, or pushups, or have some light hand weights to lift, can be a routine to follow for a few programs. 

When I am writing I can be sitting at my computer for long periods, which is not healthy. So what I find useful is standing up and walking around for a few minutes. The simple act of standing up and walking around for several minutes every half hour is beneficial in helping the circulation in the legs and I find that I can get back to my writing with a refreshed attitude.

The key to ageing gracefully, and enjoying yourself, is to keep moving. Growing old is not for sissy’s, all those past injuries come back to remind you that you need to slow down. The joints might not be as flexible, and the muscles are not as strong, but you can still get around. The key is don’t stop, keep moving, and by moving you will stay healthy as long as you can.

Addictions

The following was adapted by an email written by David Kekich of www.MaxLife.org  

You almost certainly have at least one Addiction. And the temporary comfort it gives you could very well cost you your life.

Almost all of us are unknowingly addicts. When we use that A word, it generally conjures up images of someone struggling with hard to shake drug, alcohol, or tobacco habits. 

But most addictions ar­­e much more subtle… and seemingly harmless.

First, exactly what is an addiction? All addictions seem to boil down to one thing – losing your ability to abstain.

That’s acutely obvious with alcohol addiction for example.

Sure, alcoholism is a serious issue, leading to ruining personal and professional lives. And of course, it could be a serious life shortener. On the other hand, we all know of functional alcoholics who manage successful careers. But the rest of their lives can be disastrous.

Let’s look at seemingly innocuous “habits” that are in fact addictions that can ruin lives and careers, robbing us of our chances to achieve the dreams, hopes and aspirations that are usually dividing lines between happiness and unhappiness.

Between success and failure.

And often between wellness and death.

These addictions can be anything you surrender to:

Sleeping in. Sugar. Second helpings. Passively watching TV. Skipping workouts. Negative thinking. Physical laziness. Mental laziness. Living in the past. Accepting things at face value. Reluctance to say “no.” Going with the flow.

We can go on and on with this exercise. Sometimes addictions are things that seem virtuous such as working unreasonably long hours… but while ignoring your family… also known as “workaholism.”

All addictions contribute to chronic stress. (And chronic stress kills.)

 That’s just one-way addictions shorten your life… while extending your periods of sickness and suffering.

 It is important to manage your lifestyle with healthy longevity as your target. I used to annoy some friends who lived for instant gratification and almost universally told me: “You have to die from something.”

 My usual retort was that their habits typically lead to years of sickness before killing them. I gave up on trying to convince them that reversing their course could lead to open-ended healthy lifespans.

 Now, I don’t bother broaching the subject with them. In fact, I rarely speak with most of them at all anymore. We drifted apart since I get satisfaction from relationships with people like you who place a high value on life, wellness, and longevity.

 That’s energizing. Trying to convince anyone to do something that simply does not resonate with them drains your energy… and chews up your time.

 So it’s YOUR addictions I want to address. Mainly the life-shortening ones like poor diet choices, lack of exercise, stress, and more.

 Don’t expect a free lunch though. You will need to work to survive those sneaky addictions and trade short term gratification leading to death for long term satisfaction and life.