Are you looking at retiring within the next couple of years? Have you make plans or are you dreading the whole process? I am sixty -two (62) years old and I am looking forward to retiring as early as next year. However as I speak with persons my age around this issue I get mixed feelings on the subject. Most of us have been working since our teens so the question becomes "What will I do when I stop working?". Also there are issues around money and being able to maintain your present lifestyle. Some said they would be bored.
How nice would it be to wake up and not have to worry about being late and punching that time clock? What about not having to figure out how much time you have to take that vacation you want. Or just waking up and doing whatever pops into your head. Our generation has spent most of our lives taking care of husbands, kids, grand kids and our jobs. We work hard to make the company we work for grow. We are good employees, getting to work on time, staying late to finish that project that was due yesterday, and never using a sick day. While all of this looks good for the job, what are they doing for you? Younger people are being hired and you are training them. Those promotions elude you because you don't have a degree even though you been on the job more than twenty years.
I say stop dreading the process and embrace it. I suggest several years before you plan to retire you do a couple of things. First, you start with a financial plan and then a plan to reinvent yourself. The possibilities are endless. You could write that book or turn that hobby into a business. Maybe you like gardening or painting. You could even take cooking classes to prepare that gourmet meal you always wanted. You could travel, or just read all those books you never had time for. With the Internet at our fingertips there is an app for almost anything you want to do. So relax, and don't see boredom in your future but the beginning of the next chapter in your life. Remember: Re-Invent Yourself and Enjoy !!
