What is your personal activity style? Some people like to wing it and let the
spirit move them; while others like to have every minute of the day planned out
in advance. If you have always been
conservative you have undoubtedly envied the free spirits of the world, but
whether you could be happy being that way is the question. When it comes right down to it, you are
probably not going to change, and you will be happier if you can recognize your
own particular style and stick with it.
For example: If you have always been a loner, you probably
won’t be happy if you move into a socially orientated retirement
community. However, if you like being around
people, you aren’t going to enjoy living in a cabin in the woods. For the most part, it is better to stick with
what you know, before making any expensive lifelong commitments.
Many people leap into
retirement with less planning than they do for a summer vacation. The problem is that retirement years can span
a couple of decades and most people cannot afford to shift gears half way through,
so it is important to get it right the first time.
Your own particular style, and yes you have one, should
determine how you will direct your retirement.
Some people are team players and some are not. One way of managing your life is not
necessarily better than another, but it might help if you recognize who you are
and plan accordingly.
How much of your own
feelings of personal fulfillment are/were related to your job? Successful retirement often hinges on whether
you can find this same sense of fulfillment elsewhere. Therefore, it is important to identify what
portion of your identity and feelings of fulfillment were related to your work,
and what you are going to replace it with.
If social interaction was
high on your list, a successful retirement plan should revolve around the same
time of interactions and of service to others.
If you are happiest working alone you will continue being happiest
studying or working on your computer.
You might be eager to try something new but whatever it is, you still
want to remain in your comfort zone. Think of retirement as a new beginning
instead of as an ending.
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