ARE YOU READY FOR RETIREMENT ?
How much money do you need to retire ?
What should you do to prepare for retirement ?
Where should you live when you retire ?
How will your retirement affect your family ?
What will you do with your free time ?
-The answers are different for everybody, your age, health, occupation, interests, and family status will affect your answers. The good news is that there are answers.
TRUE FULFILLMENT is deciding which things matter most and doing them first. Unfortunately , we often put off what is most important to deal with the busyness of everyday life stuff.
Q1. What three things matter most in my life ?
Q2. How consistently do I give my best effort to those things ?
Q3. What keeps me from being more consistent and giving more effort ?
Finding true fulfillment is a lifelong journey that requires persistent work at keeping priorities all along the way.
The Bottom-line….The Truth about Retirement
Retirement done right simply affords more time to pursue healthy priorities established long ago.
You can live a life that is filled with true fulfillment.
The goal of retirement is not a flurry of activity, but learning how to deal with periods of inactivity…developing the discipline to think deeply about life’s issues.
Be Careful …
While financial independence is necessary goal to a successful retirement, it is not an end in itself. There is much more to preparing for your future than money.
- what will you do with the money you have saved?
- Where will you be living when you spend it ?
- What friends, family members, charities, etc will share in your wealth ?
- What activities will your money enable you to do that you couldn’t do before ?
- What will you do with the time you used to spend earning money ?
Keep Perspective…
Engaging your mind in creation of goals and then pursuing them with passion keeps boredom at bay and may keep the doctor away too !
No matter what age you are, setting goals is crucial to living a truly fulfilling life. While it may take personal discipline to live a purpose-driven life, the benefits are very rewarding. At retirement , one of the first battles one can face is that of depression. At retirement , the lack of structure can be intimidating and even paralyzing. Many people find thay do not know what to do with their time. Having goals makes the free time your slave and not your master.
Stay Sharp !
Medical science has proven inactivity and depression is linked with all kinds of illness and disease. Engaging your mind in creation of goals and then pursuing them with passion keeps boredom at bay and may keep the doctor away, too !
Getting the basics of goal setting is the first step to a healthy purpose driven-life-- whether you are just starting your professional life or retiring from it.
G __Go for the dream!
O __Offer short-term and long-term goals
A __Act !
L __Let yourself celebrate !
S __Sit down and evaluate
Need some help to jump start your planning ?
When you retire, what goals do you have for the following areas:
1. Leisure Time
2 Living Location
3 Marriage
4 Finances
5 Mental
6 Health
7 .Emotional
8. Contribution to Society/Service
10. Friends
11. Spiritual
12. Physical
LIVE FOR TODAY BUT PLAN FOR TOMORROW!
No one likes change. But the better prepared we are to face it, the better we will survive it. Retirement marks one of the greatest opportunities for change that any human being may face. Evaluating the possibilities of change is key to a successful retirement.
Expecting the unexpected is great preparation for retirement. ( What if …)
Another change to which a person must adjust is the added free time that comes with retirement. During our busy years we may look at retirees with a degree of envy. They can golf or fish all they want. They can sleep in every morning. What a life! But the fact is that retirees aren't comfortable staying in bed much longer than they did when they worked. They find that golfing and fishing, excellent recreational activities for a person who is working, are not the kinds of things they can enjoy for hours every day. The result is that some retirees are bored, don't get along with their mates very well, and more or less sit around waiting to die.
LEGACY: Life’s Greater Purpose
Finding your life’s purpose in leaving a legacy is an exciting proposition. Long after you are gone, your influence will live on in the hearts of those you touch.
Taking a simple spiritual gifts/personality inventory is a helpful tool in narrowing the field on all the areas in which you could leave a lasting contribution.
( Administration, Encouragement, Giving/Serving, Teaching ) Do you see areas you might be able to serve others ?
IS EARLY RETIREMENT FOR YOU ?
Emotionally, you might scream “YES, IT IS!” But you may need to step back and rationally look at the facts. Retirement brings significant changes.
-You lose money and benefits
- Your family life changes
- The satisfaction of a job well done
It is very important to stay busy with something you find fulfilling. It doesn’t need to be something that pays well, but that gives your day-to-day work meaning.
Retirement can be look upon with anticipation and joy. But, ultimately it must be looked upon as a blessing, remembering that God has sustained you thus far in your earthly life, and that the rest of your days, which are numbered, should be used wisely.
(The ultimate key, in choosing where to live and what to do after retiring is really prayer. “ Let your requests be made known unto God” (Phil 4:6) God is the ultimate sustainer of your life, and He will lead you to where He wants you to live out the end of your days, whether it’s your own hometown where you raised your children, or hundreds of miles away.)
On the other hand, some retirees are so happy they say they could make a career out of retirement. They have more time for daily devotions. They are busy with projects at home. They look around to see what they can do for others. They are involved in social/church activities. They have time for their children and grandchildren. They are now enrolled in a classes. They wonder how they ever found time to earn a living.
The following four elements are key factors in a happy retirement: (1) meaningful devotions, (2) enjoyable activities, (3) helpful service, and (4) an active, learning mind.
Meaningful Devotions. Take time every day to feed your soul and pray, both with your spouse and in private. Each person can determine the time, length, or the method.Enjoyable Activities. A retiree must also become involved in some enjoyable activities. The Bible doesn't say this, but it does recognize our human need for wholesome enjoyment through activities. Only the active can truly enjoy rest. God gave the Sabbath
Helpful Service. The third essential element in handling the time afforded by retirement is that of reaching out to others.
An Active Mind. Another key element in making the best of our retirement years is maintaining an active mind. While some people develop short-term memory loss and Alzheimer's, the majority can still learn, even memorize. Interestingly, the Bible portrays a number of people who were lucid and vibrant in old age.
