Many people end up being busier when they are retired than when they were working for a company full-time. This might not be the way you had planned on spending your golden years, especially if you are looking forward to the peace and quiet of not having to go to work every day. Managing extra time when you are retired can be almost as hard as managing your time when you are already busy. Luckily, there are some strategies that can help you stay happy and productive during retirement.
Decide Where You Want to Live
Many people move to a different state once they no longer have a job tying them down to a certain area. Some move closer to family and others just move out of the city. The place you live will play a role in how happy you are during your golden years, and it also determines how many of the things you cross off your bucket list. If you want to visit certain spots, living closer to them means you are more likely to get there.
Of course, you have lots of factors to consider when deciding on the best state to spend the rest of your life. No matter what is important to you, however, there are a few states that are more retiree friendly. Some states have lower costs of living, with others boasting higher quality of life and still others having stronger healthcare resources.
If you want to learn more about each of these considerations and which states rank highest, use this list of best retirement states, which contains research and methodology from a range of sites.
Learn to Pace Yourself
You may have many things you want to cross off your bucket list once you stop working but getting to them is an entirely different story. A list of 200 things you want to do may seem more overwhelming than you thought when it comes time to pick them out. Start by organizing what you want to do or accomplish and then pace yourself.
You can achieve your objectives with a financial planner if some of these items are costly. You might be excited to chip away at this list but now that you are on a fixed income you still need to operate within a budget.
If you have projects around the house to do, you may want to do one of those each month. Smaller things may be spread out to once every week or two. Prioritizing the things that are important to you means there will be less time to waste on unimportant things. It’s easy to spend your time mindlessly, no matter your phase of life. Deciding now how you want to spend your time means it is more likely you will spend it the way you would like.
Plan to Avoid Multitasking
When people work full-time, they often find meaning in what they have accomplished. You may feel that being busy with work, family, and other activities help you feel significant. When your days are suddenly less busy, it can lead to you questioning your worth or value, especially if you feel as if your identity is being taken away. New retirees may try to recreate their experience through multitasking, but this can lead to stress on your brain. Too much multitasking can force your brain to try to go in too many different directions at once.
