As you grow older, it becomes more important than ever to use time to get what you want out of life. Time has value that diminishes with every day. Time wasted in useless or unsatisfying activity can never be recaptured. Unlike the world economy, politics, the stock market, or health, how time is spent is […]
Happiness in Retirement
Reunions
As is the case for most readers, I’ve attended my share of reunions over the years. High School reunions, university home-comings, class reunions, and work-related reunions. These events often involve dinners, speeches, pub crawls, site visits and dances. It is always great fun to see former classmates and former colleagues, to reminisce, and to recall […]
Daily Routines after Retirement
A few weeks ago a friend who is about to retire asked about my daily routines after retirement. She wondered how she would get into a new routine without the structure of a job that required getting up early, commuting, and meeting expectations in the workplace. Without a job that dictates the flow of a […]
Thoughts on Turning 70
As my birthday approaches, I have many thoughts on turning 70. It seems that milestone birthdays — especially those that mark another decade merit reflection. I’ve now lived seven decades of my life. It’s truly a time for reflection! I’m looking back at old journals as I can’t recall each of these important decade birthdays. […]
Dealing with change
Dealing with change in retirement is important. Like most people, I like to think that I’m good at dealing with change. I can adapt. But recently, I had to confront myself. Our niece was visiting us last month. The conversation turned to tactics for protecting the brain and keeping it active to assist in warding […]
Letting Adult Children Solve Their Problems
One of the most difficult things for a parent is to stand back and let adult children solve their problems. In the past three months, I’ve watched my adult son change jobs, sell his house, buy another house, and move to a different city. It’s been an unbelievably stressful time for him and for our […]
Every Retirement Choice has a Price
It’s a sad truth that every retirement choice has a price. The choice may have a financial price tag or an emotional price tag. In planning for retirement, most people try to make choices that will reward a lifetime of hard work with a care-free, stress-free lifestyle. They recognize that all choices come with price […]
Powerful Thinking and Positive Thinking
Is there a difference between powerful thinking and positive thinking? When I posed this question at the dinner table, my family’s responses were interesting. There was consensus that powerful thinking had a Machiavellian quality to it related to getting and keeping power in organizations or among friends. Positive thinking, however, was equated with success and […]
Resilience and Dealing with Change
Resilience is important when dealing with change. Change happens all the time. Dealing with change effectively is a key component for retirement happiness. Every day of your life brings change. Sometimes the change is subtle; it may be a small event like wearing a new shoes or eating a new food or meeting someone you […]
Retirement Happiness — Keep Loneliness At Bay
One of the secrets of retirement happiness is to keep loneliness at bay. Unmet social needs often lead to emotional distress and/or physical health problems. You might wonder why I think about loneliness when I am fortunate to live happily with my husband. I am also blessed with close relationships with my son, daughter-in-law, and […]
