Day 310

Didn’t make it until the ball dropped. The bed beckoned and I answered. There were booms at midnight so I was aware that the new year started. Today new calendars, back to the first page of my 10 year log book, and a clean computer with the backup done. No resolutions. I plan to keep on doing what I’ve been doing. It worked fine in 2015. My health has improved and life is good. Moving onward and upward is priority.

There is one New Horizon that can be satisfying and enriching when thoughtful preparation is made. That is Retirement. Some people seem to think that the transition from work to retirement is automatic. It isn’t. Retiring is the next job and as in work life, the new job requires groundwork.

This week I heard from one woman that her newly retired husband had no idea how to use his recent freedom from clock and calendar. He followed her around with suggestions about how housework should be done. Finally, she said, “Go do something”. She married him for better or worse but not for lunch. Another person said that her spouse had retired a year ago and was still bouncing off walls wondering what to do with himself.

According to one study, successful retirees were those who already had at least 50% of their friends, interests, and activities that were not work related. Those with  less than 50% often suffered depression or passed away sooner than they should have.

Preparation is the answer to enjoying the leisure that we worked for all those years. First there is financial security. We know that social security payments and retirement benefits may be significantly different from the salary while still working. This may require a change in lifestyle that needs to be anticipated. More important is evaluating emotional readiness to give up work. This is essential to people who retain their worker identity. Asking what profession or job a person has is often part of introductions when meeting new people so it is not surprising that moving to a new status may be difficult.

More time for fishing, playing golf, wood working, or quilting are frequently mentioned goals. Those who have already cultivated friendships, hobbies and recreational pursuits may find that they still have time to fill. That’s when it’s important to look for new outlets. If our job was energy consuming, now is the time to investigate all those interests that had to be put on the back burner . It’s time to go to public meetings, learn to cook exotic recipes, take a class in drawing or painting, learn a foreign language, play a musical instrument, join groups of like-minded people, try out for a play, and my personal favorite, volunteer. There are so many non-profit organizations that cannot exist without volunteers. Besides being of service, there are new people to meet, new uses for talents and skills, new skills to learn, and the satisfaction of supporting our communities.