If you are a retiree or your retirement is near, one thought you might be getting again and again – what to do in retirement?
After spending decades working hard for others, your retirement days should be in your control. Whether you want to read books sitting on your rocking chair or grow a beautiful garden in your backyard, everything should give you satisfaction and peace of mind.
When we evaluated some ‘To-Do Lists’ of retirees, we found most of them were long. People want to do a lot of things after retirement. It seems they were too busy fulfilling responsibilities and didn’t get time to do what they wish to.
Fortunately, now they have the time to fulfill all their wishes. If you are short of ideas or not understanding what to do after retirement, we are here to help. This article is inspired by the wishes of other retirees and will help you decide things to do.
Before Anything Else
Before starting with anything in your retirement, make sure you make a budget and stick to it. Remember, what matters the most in retirement is your happiness. We should not forget that if financial satisfaction can bring peace into our lives, money-related worries can fetch it away as well.
You worked hard all through your life and earned this retirement. Now, you might either be getting a fixed amount of money every month as a pension or have a lumpsum amount accumulated by planning for retirement at the right age.
Source: AAG
Whatever be the case, you know how much money you have to spend. So, make a budget and make sure you stick to it. You have to be careful about your spendings because falling for debts and repayments at this age is dangerous for your happy retirement days.
Moreover, your body at this age is different from what it used to be during the 20s or 30s. So, forget the idea of taking debt and working hard or doing overtime to repay it. Another thing you need to be careful about at this age is the withdrawal rate or tax rules applicable to people of your age.
Top 10 Things To Do In Retirement
Whether you do things for your loved ones, the community, or yourself, make sure your actions give you satisfaction and peace of mind. Here are some of the best ideas for you:
1. Learn A New Skill
While working, you might have wanted to learn some new things or develop new skills but couldn’t because of responsibilities and lack of time.
Now, most of you are free from responsibilities and have a lot of time to develop new skills. Whether you want to learn woodworking, fishing, needlepoint, or anything else, find the appropriate and affordable sources teaching those things to adults/seniors.
Such skills are usually taught near the city’s park, in local community colleges, hobby stores, or in your city’s recreation department. Of course, at affordable rates. As soon as you find one, enroll yourself and start learning a new skill.
2. Teach or Distribute Knowledge
You might be someone with superior skill or thorough knowledge about some subject. In this case, you have the option to start with teaching. When it comes to distributing knowledge or teaching something to others, you can either do it for free or charge for providing your services.
Most people prefer teaching or mentoring in retirement because they believe that doing something is better than doing nothing. And, what could be better than passing on your knowledge and intelligence to others.
Another thing you can get involved in is skill-sharing. In this, you teach or help others develop a skill perfected by you. In return, they help you with a skill mastered by them. Usually, there are skill-sharing groups in localities or areas. But, if there aren’t any in your area, you can create one.
3. Travel
Most people say that their dream is to visit XYZ place. If you also have such a dream, now is the time to fulfill it. Wherever in the world is the place you always wanted to visit, get ready to travel to it.
If you are someone with a list of places to visit, make a plan, pack your bags, and start with the journey to discover those places. There can’t be a better time because right now, you don’t have any responsibilities.
Of course, money is essential for traveling. Didn’t you make the best retirement strategy when you were young? If yes, traveling to all your desired places will be more affordable.
4. Spend Time with Family and Friends
Are your relatives or family members (like brothers, sisters, and other relatives) living in another city than yours? If you are missing and feeling like meeting them, why not give them a visit?
There can’t be a better time than retirement to infuse life into relations. Alternatively, you can also call them or do a video chat to get in touch with your family members. If you have friends who are also a retiree like you, make plans to hang out together.
5. Start Writing
You don’t require any special education or specific skills to write. You can start writing about anything you like. For example, write about the knowledge you have, any of your skills (like cooking), your experiences, or anything else.
When it comes to writing, there are several options such as a book, blog, diary, etc. If writing with a pen is difficult, use computers, tablets, or smartphones. Nowadays, there are even software programs that can turn whatever you speak into text.
Remember, you might be someone with a remarkable life journey. Write about it as it’ll make you feel proud of living such a life and inspire or guide everyone reading it.
6. Become a Volunteer
Becoming a volunteer means you will be giving back to the community, supporting a cause (usually which interests you), or helping those in need. At the same time, you will benefit in multiple ways, such as your social circle will widen, you’ll develop new and better skills, you’ll remain engaged, and your opinion towards things or other people will broaden.
You can get in touch with any nearby charitable organization and find if they have any volunteering opportunities according to your skills and interests. Nowadays, a lot of overseas opportunities also keep retirees busy. Try to consider them as well.
7. Be A Consultant
Don’t think that your skills and experiences also retire with you or are of no value once you retire. Many new employees or trainees fall into confusing or/and difficult situations. Such states of affairs might not be a new thing for people like you.
If you were a professional with lots of experience, think about becoming a consultant and guiding others to overcome difficult circumstances or achieve greater heights in their career. Many people prepare for it before retiring, but you can start after retirement also.
Working as a consultant will not only keep you busy but also provide you with extra money. Your pension might be more than sufficient, but an additional income will make your special days more special.
8. Start A Business
Some people never get exhausted working, and you might be one of them. No matter if these retirees were in a regular job for decades, working again fills them with excitement and joy.
Now, the difference is that you’ll be your own boss. In other words, you’ll be working for the growth and development of your business. If you worry about what business you should do, think about what you are best at or what interests you the most.
Many people around the world not only became an entrepreneur after retirement but also succeeded in their venture. What would be your business about – a product or service?
9. Go To A Summer Camp
Whenever people hear the term summer camp, the first impression they get in mind is of a far-from-home place offering fun and learning programs for children. However, it is not 100% correct. Summer camps are for teens, adults, and retirees also.
The summer camps for adults are more fun and full of experiences than those for children. The activities in those camps keep you engaged and make sure you gain new experiences. Most retirees often join camps with a focus on fitness, acting, fishing, and car driving.
If you are serious about visiting a camp, Google the term summer camps for grown-ups. The next moment whole list of suggestions and opportunities will appear on your screen.
10. Achieve A Fitness Goal
Now, you are retired and free from most of your responsibilities. You have time to do all things you weren’t able to do earlier. One of them is setting up a fitness goal and working to achieve it.
If you are overweight, you can set a target to shed extra pounds from your body and get yourself involved in activities like walking, cycling, or jogging. You can also join a gym and ask your mentor to help in achieving your fitness goals.
Experts also say that working to achieve fitness fills you with energy and keeps your body and mind healthier and happier. When you do weight training in retirement, you can experience relief in problems like arthritis and improvement in bone density, balance, sleep, and other things.
If you are satisfied with your physical appearance but want to evolve mentally, join meditation classes.
10 More Things That Keep People Busy After Retirement
In addition to these top 10, numerous other things keep people busy after retirement. Some of them are:
- Remodeling/ changing the structure of their home
- Getting engaged in part-time jobs meant for retirees
- Joining a non-profit organization and working for the society
- Touring their favorite places in an RV (Recreational Vehicle)
- Visiting National Parks
- Making short videos or a movie
- Exploring the options or joining local politics
- Growing a fruits and vegetable garden in their backyard
- Learning to play a musical instrument
- Attending their school or college reunion
How to Figure Out What to Do in Retirement?
Different people have different retirement plans. Some think to rest, some think of not stopping to work, and others think of other things.
If you can’t figure out what to do in retirement, ask yourself these few questions. Their answers might help you find the right thing to do in retirement:
- What you loved doing most during your childhood?
- Was your job about the same thing you always wished to do?
- What’s your favorite book or movie? Can it help you find what things matter to you the most?
- Who are the most important people in your life?
- What all things you wish to do before dying?
- Were you employed because you had to earn money? If money was not a factor, what might be keeping you busy today?
- According to you, what is a perfect day? Do you want your every day to be perfect? Can you live like this every day?
Don’t worry if these questions do not resonate with you. Your questions might be different, so think a bit, and you’ll find what to do in retirement.
One thing you must always remember is to have a sound financial plan. It’ll help you spend your retirement days happily and the way you want.
Final Words
Every person concerned about his/her retirement does investments or retirement planning at the right age. Make sure you are also one of them and also have sufficient funds to remain happy after retirement.
This article contains only 20 ideas, and the actual number can be infinite. Don’t worry if you still can’t find the right thing to do. Remember, no one knows you better than yourself. The best you can do now is sit in a quiet place, think a little, and figure out what you’ll be doing in retirement.
Disclaimer: All information on this page is general. It might not be suitable for every retiree searching for ideas about things to do in retirement. You can use this article as a guiding tool to figure out what to do after retirement.