Typically, when you start thinking about or talking about retirement, the main topic of conversation is about money. But the whole idea of retirement is to get to enjoy the rest of your years however you want!
Before and during your working years, you likely had to make many sacrifices and answer to your parents, bosses, or anyone who wasn’t yourself. But now you get to become and/or celebrate the version of yourself you always wanted to be without any burdens or expectations.
So, even as your financial advisors, we are going to tell you to forget all of those questions about finances, RMDs, and Medicare. And instead, ask: How do you want to spend the rest of your life? And here are five tips for reinventing yourself in retirement to get you started:
Determine Your Passions
What are you passionate about? These can be hobbies or causes or something as simple as only drinking really good wine. But don’t pigeonhole yourself. What you are passionate about does not have to be the same as what you’ve always done.
Try to remember that you are under no obligations in retirement. You don’t have to impress anyone. So, what do you really care about? Once you have made that list, you then know what to refer back to when it comes to the rest of the tips.
Consider Your Goals
You’re not working anymore, but that doesn’t mean you can’t set any goals. We’re not talking about some big strategy; just whatever you want to accomplish while taking your passions into consideration. This helps set a list of priorities and even an order to those priorities.
For example, if traveling is a passion, then setting a goal of visiting all of the destinations on your bucket list by a certain date would be a good idea. None of us know how long our health will last, so putting anything more physical toward the top of your priority list is a good strategy.
Whatever your goals, just make them your own and ignore any naysayers.
Find Your Place
Where do you see yourself spending your retirement? Where should you be in order to be able to pursue your passions and accomplish your goals? That location could be right where you are and in a house that is paid off and can fit your whole family at Christmas. But it also could be somewhere entirely new.
Don’t be afraid to change location in whatever way that makes sense to you. Maybe you are a lifelong suburbanite who has always longed for a beach house or city apartment. Maybe you wish to spend the rest of your life with a family who currently lives on the other side of the country. Or maybe you love your current house’s location but hate the kitchen. Your surroundings make a big difference in your day-to-day happiness. Find the right place for you to spend retirement.
Establish Your Boundaries
Life and retirement are too short to spend with people who don’t bring you joy. You are under no obligation to spend time with people you don’t like. No more people from work you tolerate just because they’re your co-worker. You don’t need to impress anyone. And just because you’ve been friends with people for years, doesn’t mean you have to spend your well-deserved time and money in retirement to see those people if you don’t like them.
But you also can set expectations for other people. If you expect your children to spend at least one holiday per year with you, then talk to them about it and how important it is to you. Setting boundaries can be hard, but more often than not, they help create a healthier mental and emotional environment for yourself and those you care about.
Push Your Agenda
You will likely have at least one living parent and at least one adult child when you retire. You’ve done a lot of caregiving in your lifetime. It can be easy to continue that role in retirement when you seemingly have more time but don’t forget to prioritize yourself and what you want.
And be sure to dream big. What would you change about the world around you? What would things be like if you were in charge? Because you are now! Don’t be afraid to push your agenda and reinvent yourself and your world. You’ve earned it!
Need Retirement Help?
Want to have the freedom to reinvent yourself in retirement? Our expert financial advisors can help establish a retirement plan to give you the peace of mind you need to spend the rest of your years however you’d like. Contact us today for a complimentary Discovery Call.
Are you on track for retirement?
Making sure you will be ready for retirement can be overwhelming. Funding your retirement accounts over the years is a critical part of your journey to the retirement of your dreams. An experienced Financial Advisor can help you navigate the complexities of investment management. Talk to a Financial Advisor>
Dream. Plan. Do.
Platt Wealth Management offers financial plans to answer your important financial questions. Where are you? Where do you want to be? How can you get there? Our four-step financial planning process is designed to be a road map to get you where you want to go while providing flexibility to adapt to changes along the route. We offer stand alone plans or full wealth management plans that include our investment management services. Give us a call today to set up a complimentary review. 619-255-9554.