Newfound freedom
Some people wonder what they will do with all their extra time after they retire. They fear they’ll become irrelevant, aimless or out of sorts. There are certainly pitfalls of retirement, such as boredom, loneliness and even depression. That’s why retirees should decide what’s important to them, plan out their future and appreciate retirement for the exceptional opportunity that it really is. Here are a dozen reasons to look forward to retirement.
You’re free of the ambition drug.
Suddenly you don’t care whether or not you get promoted, and the jockeying for a better title or an office with a window seems so petty. A weight is lifted from your shoulders when you quit the rat race.
You can catch up on movies you’ve always wanted to see.
Maybe you were too busy with your career and kids to follow some of the great directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, Woody Allen and Robert Altman. Now you can go on Netflix or Amazon, or just borrow DVDs from the library, and enjoy some of the great stories of our time.
You can keep up with current TV programs.
Whether you’re watching cable, Netflix or another streaming service, you can join the conversation about “House of Cards,” “Orange Is the New Black,” “Better Call Saul,” “Grace and Frankie” and other smart TV shows.
You have time to join a book club.
Some groups alternate between classics like “Anna Karenina” and modern stories like “Gone Girl.” Others keep up with the best-seller lists, with well-known books from “The Girl on the Train” to “The Boys in the Boat.” And still others are theme-oriented, whether it’s mindfulness and spiritual issues or history and politics. Regardless, a book club is both socially engaging and intellectually stimulating.
You can still work part time.
Just because you’re retired doesn’t mean you can’t pick up a job here and there. A lot of retirees carry over assignments from their old company, while others parley their personal interests into a moneymaking gig.
You can babysit your grandchildren.
Many retirees feel both useful and appreciated when they make it possible for their children to pursue a career, and they relish the opportunity to create deep and lasting memories with their grandchildren — memories that will last long after grandma and grandpa are gone.
There’s time to give back.
Many retirees find it enormously rewarding to volunteer their skills to worthy charitable organizations, whether it’s the Lions Club or the Kiwanis, their condo association, the local food pantry or a community college. Donating time to a worthy cause can add meaning to your retirement years.
You can travel extensively.
Almost everyone’s bucket list includes a trip to some special place, from the Egyptian pyramids and the Great Wall of China to the Grand Canyon and the Empire State Building. With no job to hurry back to, you can roam the world at your own pace.
You have the time to do nothing.
Finally, there’s time to enjoy the pleasure of sitting on the front porch or the back deck and soak up the atmosphere, reflecting on your life and basking in the cool breezes wafting across your face. You can break free of the cycle of busyness and immerse yourself in the simple rhythms of life.
You can live your dream.
Some people have a half-written novel in their study or an unfinished piece of woodworking in the basement. Retirement gives you the time to write the rest of your story and even publish it online, complete the projects in your workshop or make jewelry or crochet sweaters and sell them on Etsy.
There’s no pressure, no stress and no problems.
It’s the freedom that many retirees appreciate so much. You’ll enjoy freedom from the pressure to get ahead at work, get your kid into college and keep up with the neighbors.
You get to do what you want, not what others want you to do.
In retirement there are no more expectations. You no longer have to please your parents or bear responsibility for your kids. You can move to the city or the country. You can do something or do nothing. No matter how well-financed you may or may not be, you can live the lifestyle of the truly wealthy: You can do what you want and answer to nobody.
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12 Great Things About Retirement originally appeared on usnews.com
