4 Make a retirement plan and never review or change it
An overworked cliché , maybe , but still true : the only constant in life is change . That is absolutely true when you retire . There is no way you can correctly anticipate what interest rates , the stock market , real estate , or inflation will do over the next 20 or 30 years . The political process guarantees unpredictability . At the very least , once a year take a look at every assumption , every budget category , and every projection of your future income . Adjust as required .
7 . Move right after retirement
The stress of retiring is substantial . Suddenly what your life looked like changes . Much of what gave you purpose and meaning is over . That is not the time to tear out the roots of your home life . Regardless of how much you want to move away from the rain or snow or desert , no matter how much you want to live near your grandkids .... do not make that decision for at least a year . After the upheaval of not working settles down , then you are able to rationally look at what you ’ d be giving up and what you ’ d gain by moving .
5 . Become bored and restless
Too many retired folks go back to work because they don ’ t know what to do with all the free time . Others spend their days in an arm chair , watching TV or flipping through magazines . Still others play two rounds of golf a day , not because they love it that much , but because it fills the time . This should not happen . Time is a priceless resource . Control over how you spend it is one of the biggest pluses of retirement . Find your passion . Find something to do that jump-starts you out of bed each morning . All too soon , you will wish you didn ’ t squander something that can ’ t be bought , can ’ t be stored , and can ’ t be replaced .
6 . Treat a spouse or partner poorly
The entire dynamics of a relationship changes when one partner retires . To assume the person who just stopped working gets a free pass and can contribute nothing to the smooth operation of the household is not going to work . All that extra time together can be the greatest period of your relationship , or can contribute to the rapidly rising divorce rate among older Boomers . Work hard on your budget and finances ... work even harder on strengthening your primary relationships .
Unlike the tablets Moses gave us , these ten commandments aren ’ t written in stone . You spent your working days taking orders from others . Now , it is time to go with the flow and live for today !
55PlusLivingGuide . com
8 . Ignore your health
I don ’ t need to belabor this point . If you don ’ t feel well , if you don ’ t take care of yourself , and if you don ’ t follow common sense steps to maintain your health , your retirement will not be all you want it to be . If you already have health issues don ’ t stop fighting for the life you want . You have a mind and you have creativity . You are alive and you are a unique being who have things to contribute and people to love .
9 . Allow others to define what a satisfying retirement is
This is a personal journey . Lots of people will tell you what to do or sell you a book with the 8 steps to a happy retirement . Heavens , I blog about the subject every three days ! But , the bottom line is retirement will become uniquely yours . Take all the input and suggestions you can . But , in the end , you decide what your life will look like .
10 . Become a curmudgeon The stereotypical grumpy
old man ( or woman ) isn ’ t a requirement of aging . Don ’ t become so set in your ways that you reject everything new as flawed and no match to “ the good old days .” No one likes to be with a grouch .