55+ Living Guide Magazine Spring/Summer 2018 Spring 2018 | Page 43

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!
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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.