How To Retire and Have Fun: Wanna Be A Cowgirl, Writer or Mah Jongg Guru?
Posted: Monday, February 15, 2010
by Fran Larson
http://www.franniesquotes.com/
Retirement years are days of rediscovering and evolving. It is a time of taking your mask off, letting your hair down and just being yourself. It is a time of getting to know your neighbors and being there for them. For some, it is a time for giving back to the community in a variety of ways.
Someone once said, "Retirement is when you stop living at work and begin working at living."
Having a happy retirement life depends on all of these decisions previously mentioned. By asking yourself these 3 simple questions, you will be able to judge if you are headed in the right direction.
1. Where (geographically) do you really want to be?
There are some retirees who want to be near their children. I don't necessarily think that is a good idea, unless for health reasons you need someone nearby. I am a firm believer in sculpting out your "new life" with your own interests and friends instead of depending on your children for ways to be entertained. I know I will probably get some negative e-mails about this but I have seen this scenario played out so often and the ending is not good.
Choose a location that would be good for your health and happiness. The visits you will then have with your children will be even more meaningful.
Think if you have ever visited a state while on vacation and loved it. Keep that in mind for a possibility. You may get an idea from friends or relatives. You could always go on the Internet and see what would interest you.
Jim (my husband) had always dreamed of living on a golf course, so that is where we are now.
Maybe you want to stay where you are but downsize. In your heart you will know if you really want to move or stay where you are.
2. What lifestyle do you want?
Are you content to be alone most of the time or are you a social butterfly? Maybe you are somewhere in between. My husband Jim and I chose the community we now reside in because it offers so many fun activities. You can be as busy as you want to be. We are offered tennis, pool, and pool classes) golf, yoga, exercise classes, all kinds of cards and games. I am presently taking line-dancing classes and love my Mah Jongg with the ladies.
3. Do you have enough money to retire?
Do you really want to retire 100% or maybe have a part time job? Once you are on a limited income, you really need to have all your ducks in a row. You don't want to have such a tight budget that you can't even afford to go to a movie or out to dinner.
This is probably the most serious question of all. Talk to your financial adviser about some of the ideas you have regarding finances and retirement. You may need to get a part time job, which isn't such a bad thing because it gets you out of the house and you get to work at something entirely different.
Once you have seriously answered these 3 questions, you are ready to begin making your retirement plans.
Hope to see you either on the dance floor or at Mah Jongg.
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