Sometimes You Need a New Retirement Perspective

I used to view my retirement as a time that would one day be filled with weeks of doing absolutely nothing -- time spent lounging around the house, broken by the occasional walk on the beach or dinner out. It was a time to relax, take a breather from the daily grind, and revel in the fruits of my labor.

That was the view I took when I was working a 9-5, Monday through Friday job that I didn't find all that appealing. But all that changed several years ago when I decided to take a chance and venture out onto my own as a self-employed person, actually doing something I liked!

This move made me view retirement from a whole new perspective, and I realized that I had been letting my career dictate me rather than the other way around. Being outside the regular working world also changed my perception of what retirement could one day be.

Liking What You Do

Pinning down a job can be hard enough these days, let alone finding one that you actually enjoy and want to do on a regular basis. However, if you are lucky enough to find work that you don't mind doing, or maybe even like, it could make a huge different in your outlook upon retirement.

It took me over a decade to find the path that was right for me, and even then I sometimes question if it is indeed the right one. The change in my retirement perspective since finding work I enjoy is like night and day though.

Before, I couldn't wait to retire to be away from the stress of the office environment. The rut I was in had me counting the years until retirement, and that's no way to live. Now that I enjoy what I do though, I've seen the other side of the coin. The thought of continuing to work into my latter years doesn't bother me as I once did. In fact, I somewhat look forward to it.

Coming to Terms with a Retirement

After leaving my 9-5 job, I had some lag time between when I left and when I got my new career underway. This was a nice breather considering I had only had two vacations during the previous seven years, one for a week, and another for two (to get married and go on my honeymoon). I quickly realized however, that a lengthy amount of time off from work might not be all that it's cracked up to be.

After several weeks, I began to find a bit of boredom creeping in, and even though I was working on several different writing projects, the loss of a regular schedule and workplace interaction with others left me feeling a little empty inside.

It was a good experience and an eye-opening one at that; one that made me realize that having something to do in retirement can be a key element in making a retirement interesting as well as more mentally and physically healthy.

A Backup Plan for Retirement?

A similar situation to the one I encountered after leaving my regular job recently occurred to my wife. She was out of work for several weeks due to wrist surgery. The poor thing, god love her, has no real hobbies or interests -- besides watching baseball (yes, the girl loves White Sox baseball). By the end of the two weeks, I found myself wondering what exactly what she'll do come retirement.

This got me to thinking about retirement lifestyles, and the fact that people often need purpose in retirement, even if they think they don't or won't. And if this is the case, why not make it a money making purpose?

A side hobby that brings in a little cash can keep a person busy, make them feel useful, and give their retirement a little pizzazz. With the availability of the Internet, selling online or even just starting a blog (it's relatively simple through sites like Blogger or WordPress) can provide some semblance of purpose, keep the tedium at bay, and maybe even create an income stream in the process.

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Disclaimer:

The author is not a licensed retirement or financial professional. The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Any action taken by the reader due to the information provided in this article is solely at the reader's discretion.