If you’ve always thought of retirement as a time to play golf or go fishing every day, it may be time to rethink your options. Today’s older adult is bombarded with an array of exciting things to do, and it goes way beyond a few years of self indulgence. Of course it all starts with learning how to take care of yourself so that you can be sharp and active enough to enjoy them.
The reason for this change in attitude is the increase in lifespan (for both men and women) that has sneaked into the equation over the last few decades. This means, that many adults will have more time to consider adventures, travels, volunteer opportunities and even second careers. Today, this time of life is considered a “third age” and it could mean that you have 20, 30 or even 40 more productive years ahead of you. This is really quite a long time. Unless you plan on being a golf-pro or decide to run a fishing boat charter, you may find your initial enthusiasm isn’t enough to keep you engaged.
So, what are you going to do with the rest of your life? There was a time when financial planning was the only thing that you really had to worry about before you retired, but even that has changed. Growing old isn’t exactly fun (except for the not working part) but it is going to happen whether you embrace it or not, so you might as well make the best of it. Sulking about each new ache, pain, wrinkle or gray hair isn’t going to cut it if you have things to do and places to go.
Allan M. Kleiman (Library Journal: New York: July 2, 2010) has some timely recommendations in his article about the new golden years, He suggests that the public library is the go-to place to help you plan for your retirement. A wide range of materials are available and many of them encourage life-long learning, brain health, creativity and volunteer opportunities. Be sure to look for the latest materials available. Information is being updated so quickly that much of it will be time sensitive after a few years. For example: Did you know that Elderhostel (the popular travel/education organization for seniors) recently changed its name to Road Scholar? While many searchers still request traditional titles on finances, social security and estate planning, you can find information on anything that piques your interest. You can explore a world of options that were not available to you while you were busy working and raising a family. Think about what has happened in the world of travel, technology, and volunteer opportunities. The bottom line is that you need to start thinking outside the box, and you know what box I am talking about. Go to your public library to start researching and exploring all of the exciting options available to you.
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