Retirement doesn’t have to be an end, it can be a beginning
By Gail Supplee Tatum, Columnist, The Times
Why, when we retire, do we think having a schedule is bad? From the time we are born, to the time we are middle aged, we have always been on a schedule, from feeding time, to nap time, school time, work, kids, and on it goes. These schedules helped us to push our potentiality by helping us carve extra time out of our day to day lives. In fact, it’s been proven that schedules give us the solid framework to evolve and grow, so that while we were busy making the grades in high school, we were also able to find time to work part-time, see friends, and play soccer.
When we got into the work world, our brains were being taxed and stretched because we were trying to fit so much into our day. As the years passed, there was marriage and children for most of us. We were in the trenches during that period of our life, fitting even more into our day between work, the upkeep of a home, our children’s homework, their social events and our social events. There was barely time for sleep. During this period, we daydreamed about retirement, pondering on how great it would be to not have a schedule to keep.
We finally started getting a taste of free time when our children headed off to college, but there was still work, our social life and either visiting our children at college or preparing for their visit home. The next phase was when our children got married and started having babies. It’s an exciting time, being a grandparent. However, we were still working at this point and we still had a social life, so adding the responsibilities of being a grandparent, as rewarding as it is, recreated our hectic schedule.
Retirement is drawing near. You’re excited that what you daydreamed about decades ago is now within your reach! Ah, the thought of no schedule! You can get up when you want and do whatever you want! Then, you’re there!
After a very short time after you retire, however, you may find yourself perhaps a little bored, lonely, or unsatisfied. You may also feel your brain is getting less sharp, your body more soft, and your energy sapped. You may find yourself looking back and wishing for a lighter version of your previous hectic life. In fact, according to the Retirement Planning Institute, roughly 30% of people have short term difficulty adjusting to retirement lasting from a few months to a few years. Thus, as do many, you’ve probably realized that a schedule is good and very healthy for you.
You have a choice to make. You can do nothing and atrophy or you can take charge of your life….or, as I say….REFIRE! What is “ReFirement”? “ReFirement” is an empowering mind set of continuing to feel worthwhile and a contribution to the world. “ReFirement” has an empowering affect on making you feel invigorated and young at heart. It is your choice to make every day.
This is your time to reevaluate, reinvent, recharge. These aren’t just words. Look at retirement differently. You might not realize retirement/ReFirement and schedules go hand and hand. You must think long and hard on what “ReFirement” means for you in your life, and how a schedule can support these new aspirations. It’s different for each one of us and may not come to you right away.
Think about those things that inspire you, those things that you always said you wanted to do once you retired. Would that include taking a class or two? Do some research on classes, lectures, meetup groups, community programs, or charities you find interesting or compelling. Take the time to investigate choices and don’t be afraid to try something and realize it’s not for you after all.
For example, as I became close to retirement age, since my philosophy is to ReFire and not retire, I thought about my many passions. One of them was playing the drums, and thus I put into my schedule time to take lessons. I am thrilled now that I know how to play the drums. I also realized my passion was writing, and thus I began writing a memoir and articles to help others see aging in a whole new way. As a Beachbody coach, I scheduled time to train and entered into a bodybuilding contest at the ripe age of 63. To me, it’s just a beginning of a whole new fabulous life, thanks to appreciating the value of ReFirement and schedules. You have so many choices, from learning how to ballroom dance, play the guitar, play chess, help a charity….you get the idea.
The one thing I can tell you with absolute certainty is that, by keeping a schedule, you will start to feel alive, invigorated, and, yes, REFIRED!
Gail Supplee Tatum is a local ReFirment expert, inspiring women and men to be young again in all the best ways.
