Most people will be working for retirement throughout their lives, but what if you could turn the tables so to speak, making retirement work for you? If we can make retirement work for us we can retire at any age. Think about that.
Retirement is not just about doing nothing, although many of us would like to do just that, lol. Retirement is what you make of it and we should be able to enjoy it and relish in it every day.
We often go through the motions of waking up to alarms early, doing the daily commute and doing what we need to at our places of employment to carry us through the hours until relief comes and we take our leave and head back home each day, only to do it again and again until the work week ends.
So let’s look at early retirement and what we can do to enjoy it.
HOW TO RETIRE EARLY
It’s not impossible to retire early, many of us have done it but it’s what we do with it once we’re there enjoying retirement.
To retire early, some of us may think we need to save up fortunes or least have a minimum income to support us each week but lots of people support themselves in retirement the same way they did while they were in the workforce – they go to work. Working during retirement is not sacrilege, many people do it and enjoy it. Plus, it creates in them a sense of self-worth because of being involved.
Working doesn’t have to be full-time. It could be just one or two days here or there. Some people support themselves with hobbies while others buy and sell.
On the other hand, we might have set up investments such as stock portfolios, rental properties or even businesses that will able to provide us income when we retire. If we’re the type of person who has made sure we have a reliable income, at what point should we decide to take our ease and enjoy retirement?
Retirement and how we go about it is different for everyone but the one thing we all need to have in common is being able to enjoy it.
To prepare for retirement we need to have the right mindset and that mindset is not about sitting back in the lounge chair watching movies 24/7 even if that would be nice. No, we will still need to be occupied during retirement with productive things to do that satisfy us and our well-being. When we have that mindset, we can retire at any age. In fact many younger people are doing just that. Retiring time rich more than asset rich.
HAVE A ROUTINE
Having a routine can allow us to develop skills and achieve things that will benefit us during retirement without us getting bored or disheartened. Even I have to admit that having a routine is somewhat beneficial for me for achieving weekly goals even though my routine is extremely flexible. I still set tasks that need to be done by certain times in the week ahead.
By setting goals and maintaining even a very basic routine we can achieve lots. I, as well as my siblings, routinely exercising by either surfing, swimming, playing golf or tennis, and this keeps us all fit and maintains our stamina for enjoying the days ahead.
Some of us have business interests that need routine attention if we are going to be continually paid. And even if we collect a social benefit like a pension we will still need to routinely go shopping for food on a regular basis. Do you walk or drive to the shops? What day do you prefer to shop? See what I mean?
Maintaining a routine during retirement is definitely beneficial
USE YOUR TIME WISELY
Time is of the essence, it’s our most valuable asset so we all need to use our time wisely and to enjoy the time we have. How can we do that?
Some of us in retiree land are time rich while others are non-stop run off their feet dealing with different circumstances. I have friends who are retired grandparents caring for their grandchildren because their own children are unable to. For them retirement is a little different but they make the most of it by being busy and occupied and always on hand for their grandchildren. They also get to rest when they need it.
Others who find themselves with time freedom can commit themselves to life on the highway, or the open seas. Others use that time tending the garden with produce for the household. Whatever we do we should always enjoy the efforts we put in because then we can be fully satisfied with the fruits of our labors.
If you’re thinking of how you can use you time to start an online business or venture into a new career online you could find some inspirational ideas on some of our other posts.
Don’t forget to regularly exercise as this will help maintain our body’s health and stamina so we can continue using our time wisely and beneficially to get the best from making our retirement work for us.