In Pursuit of Retirement?

People dream about the day they’ll retire when life won’t be dictated by early morning alarms, regimented commutes, hassles at work, and limited free time. But retirement may not be all it’s cracked up to be if you aren’t prepared for it.

Most of us need the kind of daily structure that work provides, or at least some semblance of it. And we often derive a great deal of satisfaction and sense of purpose through our work, which can leave a huge void if not filled by something of similar value. Sometimes it depends on whether we are retiring from something or to something.

People who are happiest in retirement already have hobbies and extra-curricular pursuits well before retiring. Now they just have more time to enjoy them. But those who retire and spend the first year traveling, spending time with grandchildren, fixing up the back yard, or cleaning out the garage, are often left with the challenge of what to do next.

We all need a reason to get up in the morning and the opportunity to be constructive with our lives. Why not consider applying some of your considerable talents to helping a nonprofit with a mission and cause you believe in? This will give you a continued sense of purpose and will be good for your psyche, too. You made a difference in your working career. Why not consider making a difference in your retirement?

So instead of fretting about what you’ll do when your career ends, try to figure out how to continue your contribution to society in some meaningful way. Just do it on your terms, not someone else’s. The last third of your life can become the most fulfilling and enjoyable, and much richer that you might imagine. Our future can be more exciting if we find new ways of building upon what we already know and giving back in ways that can be very rewarding.

Here are some Business and Life Tips to think about….

Business Tips:

• Passion is the feeling you have when you are doing what you love. It’s what you would do for free, yet someone pays you for it.
• You don’t always need a so-called expert to do the teaching. Small groups of peers can learn a great deal from each other.
• The best way to better your life is to support your friends and colleagues. Try giving more than taking. The return will be greater.

Life Tips:

• Volunteer your time to worthy nonprofits because they need your support. It also makes you feel good to know you’ve made a difference.
• To say you don’t have time for something is flawed. What it really means is that you have chosen to spend your time elsewhere.
• Achieving a major milestone can only be accomplished by breaking it up into smaller goals. Small successes lead to bigger ones.

Tags: Advice, Business Tips, Dream, Drive, Energy, Family, Friends, happiness, Happy, Hobbies, Learning, Life Tips, Personal Development, Philosophy, Purpose, Reality, Relationships, Retire, Retirement, satisfaction, Society, Structure, The Mind of a Leader, Time, Travel, Values, Vision, Wisdom, Work