How to Retire Happily

Retirement spells out a different meaning for all of us, but I know the secrets to retirement. If you really want to enjoy life to its fullest after you leave the workforce, these are 5 tips that will give you the physical and emotional freedom you so rightfully deserve.

Take care of your health.
If you don't want to listen to this advice, then you might as well stop reading this article now. Even better, just run into a wall. If you don't have your health, you don't have anything. All that money you sacrificed your health for to earn, it's going to your spouse or kids when you die of a premature heart attack. Even worse, if you don't have a will, your money will go to the government. All of it.

If you're chain smoking, quit now (or at least try to). If you're always getting angry, stop it. If you're not getting a physical every year, go do it. As with all terminal illnesses that hit in the later years of our lives, early detection is vital - in most cases it saves your life. Turn off the television, get outside, or go do something productive. It's never too late to start being healthy. Just think that every minute you spend on that treadmill constitutes an extra hour on some beach in Hawaii.

So be sure to eat healthy, exercise regularly, and get lots of sleep and rest. Don't abuse your body, and it will still be there for you later on when you need to count on it.

Save some money.
The average figure people save for their retirement is 10% of their income, but if you can live within your frugal means and save even more, say, 25%, you can very well retire when you're 50. Besides your health, this is the most important condition you need to satisfy in order to life comfortably well into retirement.

Everyone's figure is different, so if you plan on taking lots of vacations by traveling, or if you have hobbies that require lots of money, take that into account every time you put some money away into an IRA or 401(k). On the other hand, if you plan on drinking alcohol from a brown paper bag and living in a dumpster, then by all means, splurge all of your money on a new car, iPod, and HD TV. In your younger years, you can afford to sacrifice some needs for wants. Forgoing an opportunity to buy some new "wants" in order for you to live more comfortably when you're older is something I'm definitely find with.

It is vital to understand that just as with your health, saving money is never too late - even if you wait to start until you're 40. The later you start, the later you retire. Unless you win the lottery. It's pretty simple.

Take care of your children.
Raise your kids well. Make sure they are loving, caring, and sensitive human beings - kids that will take care of you when you need them the most. The Menendez brothers obviously didn't get a lot of love from their parents (or at least not the right kind of love). Even so, they still shouldn't have killed their blood relatives. Raising a child is difficult, but it is a vital part to coaxing a productive human being into society. It is also an investment in your own health. Humans are social creatures, and as you get older, you will find that when your children are not around, you end up missing them like crazy.

If you raised your kids right, they will understand their responsibilities to the family and often come to see you. It is your duty as a parent to take care of any lives you bring into this world, and by passing down what humans need most - love, you've passed down your best trait, something that will give you greater peace of mind when you're retired and you actually get some time to think about how you've taken care of your family.

Don't get lazy.
Although tempting, it is vital that you do not let your intellectual capabilities slide during retirement. Most of the smartest, funniest, and wittiest people challenge themselves by doing new things every day until the day they die. As we get older, our neurons die off - an early sign of Alzheimer's, among other diseases. In order to prevent memory loss, do something new everyday. Now that you actually have time to do the things you want, make sure you continue to learn new things and educate yourself well into your later years.

My grandfather recently passed away at 87, and he was as alive as ever. We played cards, talked about politics, and argued over sports. I miss him a lot, but I know that he enjoyed his time with me and he was satisfied before he left. At one point in time, I knew that he was getting slower intellectually, so I suggested that we take part in various activities that required the use of his brain. We had fun together, at the same time keeping his mind sharp and clear. A mind is a terrible thing to waste.

All psychology talk aside, don't get lazy physically. Retirement isn't just about sitting in a chair all day and reading Catcher in the Rye until you fall asleep in your rocking chair. It's about continuing to learn new things and experiencing new activities, just being able to do it on your own terms and when you choose. Being lazy is unproductive. Period.

Throw away your regrets.
This should be a principle you abide by whether you're a retiree or not. Throughout life, we make decisions that may have not been the best choice. In order to stop hanging on the past and dwelling over something that you can't change, it is imperative that you move on with life and change things that you can.

As for retirement, it's no use in thinking about "what could have been" or "why did I do that." Enjoy the rest of your time on God's green earth, and be appreciative of the fact that you got to live such a long and healthy life. Many other people had their lives cut short for tragic reasons, so your job is to take care of yourself and live YOUR life to best of your ability. Thinking about something that doesn't matter anymore is like taking a test and then studying for it.

Enjoy your retirement. You probably already knew that life is short, so now you should really get down to business and do what you've always been dreaming of doing! Time is limited, and that hourglass is emptying mighty fast. They're called the golden years for good reason - and no, it's not because a sunset is golden (although good guess!). Now that you are stock full of wisdom and experiences, live carefree so that when it's your time to go you won't have any regrets.