Many approach the subject of retirement understandably, with mixed feelings. Some look forward to it, while others dread it. Fear if one can afford to retire, fear on what to do when one retires, fear of the loss of importance, status, or identity brought about by the job. The higher one is on the corporate ladder, the more difficult to retire. Fear of the unknown unwittingly lurks around. Yet, there are many things in life that can only be enjoyed in full when one has the time to do it, that is, as a retiree. Hopefully, this article takes out some of the trepidation and mystery out of retirement.
There are four essentials to enjoy retirement:
- Good health. It is a given that without a reasonably good health, there is not much in life to be enjoyed. Life’s enjoyment depends on how well you are able to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Health is what sets you free to do the things you have dreamt doing. Whether it is walking, hiking, biking, joining a marathon, writing a book, traveling, even enjoying your family and friends’ company, and even exploring international culinary delights! All hinge on your health. That is why it is wise to retire while you are in the pink of health, versus being forced to retire due to ill health and being unproductive at work! Some retire to the grave, unfortunately!
- Discipline. As your comforting routine vanishes, you are left with a day wondering what you will do with yourself and your time. It is good to plan you daily activity to establish a framework, a routine to replace what you used to do. Work takes care of time but without work, what to do with time? What time should you get up? Its healthy to start the day an hour later than what you used to do when you were working. There’s no traffic to deal with after all. That way you can be active to do some exercise, such as going to the gym, walking, having a nice leisurely breakfast, or reading quietly. Plan your meals ahead and let it be healthy meals so you can improve your well-being. Many retirees get too lazy to prepare their meals and just eat random items in the pantry, such as cheese and crackers! Make regular lunch dates with coworkers or friends, once a week or once a month to keep in touch. You still need the company and stimulating conversations!
Plan your evenings. Do mind stimulating exercises such as doing crossword puzzles, learning a language online, some trivia games and so on. How much TV should also be planned, otherwise, you could end up pigging in front of the TV all day…not healthy and regrettable later.
- Sufficient means. This might as well be the first? It is time to reap the reward of your fiscal prudence in your younger years. It is ideal to retire debt-free; no mortgage, no car payments to make. You have to now add all your receivables at retirement to see if you can actually retire. Calculate your monthly expenses, less transportation, parking, office clothes, lunch allowance, and gas consumption. All those expenses will dramatically be reduced as you will not be commuting daily. Then, check it against your monthly income from your IRA, 401K, and SSS or other retirement instruments. Some slide to part-time work before retiring completely to cushion the shock of an abrupt change in income and routine. You can do that too. But clearly, in order to sustain and enjoy retirement, you need to have enough resources to retire; you will not be working after all! If you are just making it and cannot even afford to see a movie, eat out, have some travel, then you need to reconsider a later retirement, or you might need to save more!
- Interests. Two things I used to dream about when I retire: to travel and enjoy an afternoon nap! Fortunately, I have fulfilled my childhood dream of travel, both at work and upon retiring. As for the latter, I found that we do not need as much sleep as when we were younger. Thus, if took an afternoon nap, it will be followed by a wakeful night. There is a natural quota of sleep it seems when one becomes mature. The body is no longer growing so the need to sleep becomes less. Interests are important because it is what will give meaning to your retirement. Some by default, due to the lack of any idea to do, resort to apostolate work (nag aalaga ng apo). Gratefully, I didn’t plan on doing that because I happen to not have any apo. It can be rewarding to see the next generation grow up. But I have done my part of raising kids. And I now want to focus on taking care of myself for a change, explore my interests and making my dreams happen. It all depends how independent-minded you are so much so you can plan on how you want to spend the rest of your life. It is after all, the last third of your life. Some do volunteer work, which is also very rewarding; especially when it is an outreach in the Philippines. We, as a family, have hooked up with nonprofit organizations to participate in their projects. It was a wonderful experience, a very rewarding experience.
Some look forward to getting on with their unfulfilled dreams such as painting, writing a book, climbing Mt. Everest, or even just Mt. Apo or Pinatubo, think of what you wish to do before you leave this plane! How you spend your retirement is what will make it boring or interesting, even exciting. Some get to be so busy they say, “I don’t know how I found the time to work!” Many explore new things such as learning about reflexology, acupuncture, cooking at a gourmet level, it all depends on your personal interest. As I am not in the business of impressing anyone with my cooking, and realizing that being older, eating healthier is far more important, than creating impressive cakes and pastries, and rich sauces, I didn’t go there.
However, I know former coworkers who like me, enjoy cruising, traveling in less beaten paths such as Antarctica, a safari in Africa, and so on. What is important is just don’t vegetate and spend your life in front of the TV, it is unhealthy to live a sedentary life. Your doctor will tell you that.
All told, the best advice is simply ENJOY LIFE! You earned it!
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NB: Ms. Buenaobra, is a free-lance writer. While in the Philippines, she was with the Asian Development Bank (ADB). She is a retiree from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and was a professor of Tagalog at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., USA.