What’s The Best Thing About Retirement?

When I transitioned from my 59^th birthday to my 60^th, I asked every person I could think of, what they believe was the best thing about retirement.

I wanted to know everything there is to know about the joys and maybe not so fun thing about this new period in life. I wanted to know so that I could prepare the best way possible and avoid the mistakes of everybody else. I’ve got that when the time comes, I thought.

However, what I found was, the more I asked, the more diverse the answers where.

Some people didn’t know, but most had a clear understanding of what was best for them about the new chapter in life. Many of their best things didn’t ring through to me.

This Is What I Have Taken

Indeed, by some of the best things which were proposed to me, I thought, should that really come to pass, I better don’t do retirement at all.

My conclusion was, the best thing about retirement is what you make of it! And that, of course, brings the ball right back into your court. You can ask as much as you want, but in the end, you will need to make decisions to find your best thing about retirement. If you are going to make the time of retirement count, then you need to get behind it.

You cannot live it through second-hand experiences.

You have just retired and have no plans

That can happen to all of us, yet, you better have an idea! Because if you have an idea, you can stop asking around! Having an idea means you gave your best thing for retirement at least some thought, which is better than none.

You know already what will make your heart sing. Nothing comes to you as a surprise anymore. When the day comes, you might make a tweak here and there, sleep in one more time, not just on Sundays, and enjoy that you must no longer leave home early on those dark and cold winter mornings anymore, enshrouded in fog and frost.

It is your life, your retirement!

A chapter in life which you can create with the dreams from back then and the wisdom from today! You have lived a long life; you have gained experience only you could have. Now is the time to put it all together.

While looking out of the window, ruminating on what else I could tell you about this best thing of retirement, I realise there is no generalised answer to it. Life has its own size. There is no “take it off the shelf; one fits all”!

There it is where retirement comes full circle. The best thing about it is, whatever the best thing is for you!