How to Retire Happy

Graduating from work, maturation, jubilation, retirement, call it what you will, it’s perhaps the most important phase of life. It will be daunting, exciting and emotional. This article aims to help you on the mental side of things.

Happiness is…

My experience of 25+ years in retirement planning is that getting our heads straight for what comes after work is the most difficult part of the puzzle. As humans we seek happiness in everything we do. But we innocently attribute happiness to the new car/job/partner or the holiday or money. Happiness from objects and objective experiences always fades. You may believe that the objective experience of not working will make you happier. It might in the short term, but it won’t last because you need something to retire to.

Happiness comes from being active and having goals and dreams. Being idle doesn’t suit humans. At work, being active, setting goals etc. was often out of your hands – you didn’t have to think about it much. Now, for the first time, without work, it’s 100% on you. You get to set your schedule and what you want to accomplish. There’s a responsibility, a pressure to that. But if you pay it proper attention this can be the time of your life.[/vc_column_text][fancy-ul icon_type=”standard_dot” alignment=”left” spacing=”default”]So, what should you be trying to get straight? These are the main sources of good (and bad) thoughts and feelings:

• Family and friends
• Work and play
• Mental health and physical health
• Finances

Where is your thinking on these? How are you feeling about them? What’s important about them to you? Why? What can you do to move your thinking on?

Now have a think about what you won’t miss, for example:

• Alarm clocks
• Commuting
• Some colleagues
• The boss
• Having to live near work

And how about things you can spend more time on? For example:

• Hobbies
• Projects
• Family
• Friends
• Yourself
• Adventures
• Treats
• Spontaneity
• Variety
• Holidaying
• Napping
• Helping others