Who’s Happily Retired, Raise Your Hand!

My name is Vicki and I am happily retired!

I had worked for the federal government for thirty-eight years and I couldn’t wait to retire! During the previous ten years, all I could think about was retiring. I was looking forward to the days when I wouldn’t have to battle for a seat at the table, deal with workplace politics, or deal with the dreaded “traffic”!

This new chapter in my life has been incredibly fulfilling, yet it only took me a little time to get there.

The happiest I have ever been

I have been retired now for five years and I can say with confidence I’m happier than I’ve been in such a long time. I now have more time for the things that really matter most in my life: my faith, my family, my friends, and my passions.

Retirement is no exception to the rule that major life changes may be frightening. This new phase of life may appear overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be if you plan ahead of time. They tell you to save enough for retirement financially, but not emotionally or psychologically.

Of course, your finances are vital, but then again so are your emotional and physical well-being. Taken as a whole, that’s just what I mean by “normal life balances”.

Work hours must also be replaced by other important activities after retirement. Remember that adjusting to this new way of life might cause a wide range of feelings, including worry, happiness, melancholy, optimism, and tranquility, but they are all-natural emotions.

Here are three of my most important retirement suggestions for you to think about as you embark on your journey.

Plan out your days.

Maintain structure from the minute you get up in the morning until you go to bed at night. It may appear tiresome, but it is not. When you think about it, it’s similar to developing habits.

A planned day may look like this:

08:00 – 09:00 Get up pray, stretch, get dressed, maybe write about your day in your journal. Take the opportunity to get dressed every day. I didn’t even get dressed half the time when I first retired. I spent the entire day in my pajamas. Getting dressed for the day motivated me to get up and move about. It does make you feel a lot better, trust me.
09:00 – 10:00 Eat breakfast/ have coffee/tea
10:00 – 11:00: Go for a walk, hit the gym, or do an online workout. It’s all too easy to fall into a rut, so it’s critical to keep active.
11:00 – 12:00: Discover your area of interest. What are your chances? Your passion can involve into something like a business and provide you with a residual income that does not necessitate the expenditures of further funds. I
started creating candles, and it was extremely profitable for a time, but alas my sinuses did not permit me to be fantastic, so I had to lessen the frequency with which I made candles. I still indulge but not nearly as often.
12:00 – 1:00: At lunchtime, try out some of the recipes you’ve found on the internet. We really do have to refuel our bodies.
1:00 – 3:00: Social time, perhaps meet or phone a friend or family member. I communicate with my daughter, girlfriends in different states, my mother, and my sisters. You might also take advantage of this opportunity to check out social media.
Structure your day from sunrise to sunset if you get where I’m headed with this.

Set Goals – Achieving goals provides meaning and gives you a sense of accomplishment.

Set a goal that will keep your mind engaged.

This might range from authoring a book to reading a book once a week or once a month. Renovate your home and complete projects that you put off because you were working. YouTube is an incredible do-it-yourself training school in which you will undoubtedly become a “jack of all trades.”

What about establishing a travel goal, such as budgeting for a trip wherever your heart’s desire?

Family goals will now allow you to spend a lot more quality time with your grandchildren, friends, and other family members.

When you retire, you tend to lose touch with friends, especially if they haven’t yet retired. Finding genuine companions becomes more difficult as we get older.

When I retired, I relocated out of state, leaving behind a thriving social circle. We did everything together we played cards, traveled, dined out, attended outdoor concerts, and so on. Our weekends were jam-packed.

I’ve also lost touch with so many of my colleagues I considered being work buddies. I didn’t realize how much they contributed to my daily life until I retired, and they were no longer a part of it.

Be Proactive

Step outside of your comfort zone and make connections with individuals from various age groups. It’s important to express yourself in each age group since it provides new viewpoints and allows everyone to benefit from your circle of friends.

Church organizations, gyms, online forums, and volunteer opportunities are all great venues to meet new people. The list goes on and on.

Making new friendships is difficult. Particularly if they are not in your age group. However, you must be proactive.

Stay Flexible

Adjusting to retirement is a process, so plan ahead of time and keep in mind that before you retire chart your path, and remember roads close or can be rerouted, so stay flexible.

Having a place to go, people whom you can rely on, and who can rely on you, maintaining a routine, being socially able, having a purpose, being active, and learning new things are all important factors in remaining happy, healthy, and vital in retirement.

Don’t be intimidated, those of you who are now retired or thinking about retiring it’s a lovely adventure. It is now time to live life to the fullest!

Thank you, Mommi Nation, for providing an outlet for all mommies of all ages and affording me the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing platform.
Follow me on Instagram @classicvicki and we can do this thing together.