This morning I caught a headline about a new book on retirement
specifically for men, called “Ready for Retirement” by Lyndsey Green. I haven’t read the book so cannot comment on
the content but since there are few books on the subject it may be worthwhile
to pick this one up. In the article she
mentioned that many couples do not discuss their retirement dreams and so they
end up having very different ideas about what they will do during their
retirement years. It is so ironic that
we live in an age of communication with every possible device to communicate
but old fashioned talking seems to be “out”.
I’ve included 2 links, one Canadian and one American with some
useful information that should cheer you up on the numbers game. Beyond financial information there is a
really scarcity on the other 5 aspects of the retirement pie (Financial,
Physical, Social, Spiritual, Mental and Activities) other than broad
suggestions on looking at these areas.
With respect to physical and mental activity I think I will leave it
simply with common sense suggestion to check in with your doctor before
engaging in strenuous exercise; beyond that physical activity is a must at
least 5 days a week for at least 30 minutes.
Simply walking is good enough but when you are retired you have enough
time that you can incorporate several sessions of exercise within the day. For example you could walk 30 minutes both
morning and evening as well as include 30 minutes of yoga, Pilates or
swimming. All are very low cost
activities. With regard to mental
activity, reading and crossword puzzles are cheap and easy although they are
rather passive and will not necessarily stimulate your mind as much as learning
something new. So if you enjoy reading
and courses are not for you the next best thing is to read to study something
new.
I’ve also written in the past about the spiritual piece of the
pie. Spirituality can mean your
participation in your religion but if you are not religious you still need to
address your inner peace of mind, if you will.
Anywhere from beginners using 10 minutes of solitude to do a “check in”
which can expand to a genuine meditation that can start with 10 minutes and
grow up to 60 or 90 minutes, depending on how much you enjoy it and the time
you have to “spare”.
More importantly I would like to discuss Social and Activities today.
I have noticed, just as the article below mentions, that I am
frequently alone because my peers are still working. I have made a determined effort to stay
social not just via social media but by picking up the phone and talking to
friends as well as making social commitments regularly. By regularly I mean a minimum of once every
two weeks but frequently it is weekly.
But wait, I will not go “check” of the checklist quite so easily. There came a time when I realize that I am
doing 100% of the running in the social schedule and I found myself getting a
little depressed. Happily I have found a
solution out of that mini crisis by discovering a little book at Costco called “Jumpstart
Improving Your Mind” for a mere $6.99.
It’s a 90 day series of articles and exercises to encourage a positive
mindset which focuses on removing negative feelings. I highly recommend it.
Volunteering combines both social stimuli as well as keeping
active. There is a wide range of
volunteer positions available so I won’t talk too much about that. Many activities can include your physical
activity such as golfing, hiking, skiing and so forth. There are all kinds of clubs available from
camera clubs to target shooting so it’s simply a matter of searching out the
one that interests you most. You are
only limited by your own imagination and perhaps your physical limitations.
But take heed, start planning sooner rather than later, particularly
if you are in a relationship. It is very
important to have similar goals and interests or at least a strategy to keep
out of each other’s hair so your relationship will survive so much
togetherness! Happy planning, folks!
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