As everyone heads into 2025 with plans and resolutions for the New Year, I head into the unknown.
You see, January 1 is my first official day of retirement. Most of you may think this is a great thing but this can be hell for many who are unprepared for the changes ahead. Like every stage in your life, there is no manual that explains what to expect.
Another Stage of Life
Unlike being a newborn or toddler (where your parent took care of your every need), or being in public school (where your teachers guided you through your structured day), or college (where, hopefully, you had the drive to succeed at the classes and program you selected), or work (the daily grind for 40 years for most of us – with or without an overmanaging supervisor), retirement is the first stage in life where you have no schedule, no structure. Ask anyone to identify themselves, and part of their self-identity is embedded in their job or their school. Ask a new retiree, and for the first time in their lives, they will self-identify with a label that many would consider non-productive.
How to Get Ready
Planning for your retirement years shouldn’t begin and end with the financial aspects. Vague concepts of spending time traveling, doing hobbies, etc. help little to make the transition from Social Security contributor to Social Security recipient. I saw with my parents the difference between being active from day one on retirement to taking some time off and then starting on the bucket list. Not only does the bucket list not get done, but many times also it doesn’t even get started.
Health sometimes plays a role here, but an even bigger role is habit. It’s easy to think that you have all the time in the world, and another TV show won’t hurt. I’m good at procrastination so I am working on creating a schedule to work in exercise, activities, reading, etc. One of my aspirations is to write, and I know that if I don’t block out the time to write at least a couple of hundred words a day, seeing my book as a future Amazon Kindle offering will never happen.
My path is not yours, but whether your retirement plans include becoming a consultant or volunteer, being the full-time day care for the grandkids, or recreating Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days adventure, it is never too early to start planning for it. Embrace the positive change: it’s your life
John Szalasny
Freelance Writer
