Did You Know That...

Sometimes all that’s needed is a little information, right? So, here’s some!

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DID YOU KNOW THAT...

1. RETIREMENT is in the Top Ten on the list of Life’s 43 Most Stressful Life Events (it’s #10!)

And that’s what I mean. Some people might find the transition easy, but many retirees are truly stressed at the challenge of creating a new identity and purpose.   ​

2. If your work defines ‘who you are’ rather than ‘what you do,’ it may be more difficult to transition away from it. 

How will you introduce yourself when you retire?

Please don’t be a ‘used to be!’ Thinking about who you are NOW and what you want will help you create the things you will be retiring TO.

3. If your social connections are mostly related to your workplace, it may be a lot harder to replace them. 

Bob in HR and Emily in IT will not be available for lunch when you leave your job. Finding new friends and interests before you retire will help you create a new community of people whom you like and who enjoy the same things you do!
 
And, by the way, a Harvard Grant Study has shown that not only did having a strong social connection in retirement help people outlive those who didn’t, but also aided in delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s and dementia!

4. Sitting at a desk most of the day can cause complicated physical conditions that can interfere with your planned retirement activities. 

Get up and get moving! Those grandkids want to play hide and seek. Your condo wants you to be on the pickleball team, and the dog just brought you his leash asking for a long walk.

You don’t want to miss out on any of that – do you?    

5. Believing that “the best is yet to come” is more than a Mary Sunshine outlook. It helps foster fresh ideas and possibilities. 

Having a positive mental outlook not only helps you deal with change and gives you more energy for new opportunities and accomplishments, but it will also make you more resilient for handling the other ‘stuff’ that comes your way.

6. People who don’t spend any time volunteering before they retire don’t know where to look for appropriate opportunities and get stuck in roles they don’t like.

If volunteering is high on your “Things I’ll Do When I Retire” list, get started early thinking about organizations you want to help. Make some inquiries and think about what you bring to the table. When you tell them what you would like to do, you won’t get stuck making phone calls or reorganizing files (unless, of course, you like that!). 

AND BY THE WAY… one more

7. People are 42% more likely to achieve a goal when it is WRITTEN DOWN!  

Whether it’s a trip to Machu Picchu or creating an online creative cooking club, having a WRITTEN detailed plan for how to achieve your goals is very important. You’ve probably already done it on the financial side. Now do the same for all those non-financial issues
Research has shown that when goals are written down, it reminds you of what they are and what you need to do to achieve them! Then put the list in a place where you can easily find it and check your progress.

~Loretta