Is Your Retirement Still Making You Happy?

You probably thought about retirement for most of your working years, and now you've finally made it to the finish line. But at some point during your retirement, you may begin to feel dissatisfied with your lifestyle. Don't waste one of the best times of your life doing things you don't truly love! Instead, take these steps to reinvent your retirement.

Question your goals. Get ready to be completely honest with yourself. Are the goals you set long ago still working for you? Maybe you have moved to the location you decided upon years ago, or you have bought that boat you always wanted. But now that boat requires too much maintenance, or you don't use it all that much. Perhaps your retirement location isn't what you had expected. Examine whether you're really happy with the decisions you made. They aren't set in stone!

Open yourself up to new experiences. Maybe that hobby you dreamed of pursuing just isn't all that much fun anymore. It's okay to drop it, and find something new to pass your time. In fact, retirement is the ideal time to experiment and discover what truly makes you happy.

Don't watch. Participate! It could be that you're simply tired of being a spectator. Rather than visiting art museums, sign up for a painting class. Don't read about foreign countries; go and visit one! Engage yourself in your interests rather than participating vicariously, and you will discover a whole new enjoyment of life.

Stop viewing life as a race to the finish line. You worked hard all your life to make it to this point, but that doesn't mean that life is over! Retirement should be about enjoying freedom, not accomplishing specific goals that you set 30 years ago. Allow yourself to grow and change, and pursue the life that appeals to you right now.

​14624 - 2015/6/30