Retired – Now What?

Hi Folks,

Retired and beginning to wonder what’s next. Welcome to the club. There are lots of others just like you.

Retirement will be a wonderful thing if you get your act together but sometimes you need some help and direction. Gordon Newman, today’s contributing author has some suggestions of where to start.

What are you waiting for?
Woody 

Retired – Now What
 

By Gordon Newman 

You are retired, perhaps a bit earlier than you expected. This you see as a blessing and a curse. First, it is great not to have to get up every day and go to that “job”, right? However, this is not when you planned on retiring. You figured you had another five or ten years to work. As a result you now find yourself with extra time but not always extra money. Not an uncommon situation in today’s economic environment of downsizing and right sizing.

For the first couple of weeks or even months it is fantastic. All those jobs you were going to do around the house but never had time on weekends are able to be finished. You have been able to get to the golf course mid-week when it is slow. You are able to work on your yard on a Tuesday when it is sunny rather than wait for the weekend or rush to cut the lawn after a full day at work.

Now reality is setting in. You have a whole lot of years ahead of you and no specific plans for them. Perhaps your life partner is still working so you are home alone. Again, nice for a while but soon you miss the simple pleasure of adult conversation during the day.

Now is the time to think outside the box. Take an inventory of what it is that you really liked about what you did when you were working? Were you also good at that particular task? Great! Now you have the opportunity to share with someone else.

Recently heard a presentation by the Dean of Workforce Development at Sheridan College. The demographics of the GTA are changing rapidly. A great number of local residents are immigrants. Many are talented folks who need help either in learning English, getting their credentials recognized, upgrading their skills, or learning how business works in Canada.

If you were in business and had a passion for what you did why not turn that passion into a hobby/job? Determine what you are good at. Ask yourself that question posed by a friend of mine a short while ago “Who cares”. Then set up your own business providing that skill to the market.

The values are numerous:
1. you get self satisfaction from helping someone
2. you have an opportunity to earn some extra income
3. you get to do what you most love to do
4. you still have the opportunity to take time off when you want to
5. you keep yourself active and evidence shows that active people live longer happier lives

The pluses are there. The question is how you are going to make it work for you. As the commercial for Everest schools says, what are you waiting for?

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