Damn it! I am so tired of hearing people say they just want to relax in retirement. Relaxing isn’t an activity, it is the lack of an activity! OK, I like to relax once in a while you caught me red handed. Who does not like some downtime every once in a while? I would be grumpier than I am without a little relaxation once in a while.

Once you enter retirement you have to get motivated and stay busy. Motivation is the biggest obstacle to overcome. It is too easy to make excuses to put something off until tomorrow. And tomorrow never comes! What the hell happened?

Let’s face it, most retirees have a few years and a few pounds under their belt. I always say I wouldn’t be so damn fat if they didn’t make the food so damn tasty! That’s the definition of a diet, eat what you don’t like such as kale, cause you’ll eat less. Why do we have kale? I’ve never been a super fit person, but I am doing what I can to stay healthy in retirement. No sense working a job all those years to just die young. So take some small steps to improve or maintain your heath, just get started!

“I always say I wouldn’t be so damn fat if they didn’t make the food so damn tasty!”

The Grumpy Retiree

As we get older things start to fall apart just like an old car. Brush your teeth and you sprain your back. How do you explain that to your doctor? As we age we need more maintenance and upkeep. Like changing the oil in your car or rotating the tires, you can keep yourself running a longer with some basic maintenance.

Doctor: What caused the problem with your back?
I was brushing my teeth.
Doctor: And you fell?
No, I was brushing my teeth.

The Grumpy Retiree

Preventative Maintenance for Retirees

I hate saying this but there are 2 major categories of maintenance for retirees. Mind & Body. Now I sound like a friggin doctor. You knew this already, but are you doing anything about it?

Find activities you are truly interested in learning or doing. I took a job pouring wine while summering in Maine. I loved the work! It is the best job I’ve had and I worked with the best people. Working also kept me active physically and mentally. I talk to customers about wine and provide sightseeing tips. And the money and wine is nice too! If you decide a retirement part time job is for you, do it for fun first. A friend works in an antique shops 2 days a week. She loves antiques, or she needs 2 days away from her husband, but either way she is doing it for fun and not the money! I am not advocating getting back to work, jobs are not for everyone in retirement. But they can provide outside the home stimulus.

Things to Do in Retirement

Travel!!!

My favorite activity is travel. I traveled before retirement and plan to do a lot more now. Many of the retirees I know love to take trips domestically and outside the US. I plan my own trips which helps me learn about destinations while researching the itineraries. I particularly like trips that involve a different country as you learn a lot in a new country. Everything from culture and food to customs and history are learning experiences. If you don’t want to do you own travel plans try a tour company like Overseas Adventure Travel or local travel agencies.

Pick a place based on your interests. For food think Tuscany Italy, Oaxaca Mexico, Bangkok Thailand. Culture & history try Marrakesh Morocco, Cairo & Luxor Egypt, Rome Italy. Outdoor lovers have Patagonia Chile and the US National Park System. What are you waiting for?

Start a Retirement Hobby

What have you always wanted to do but never had time when you were working? Remember 20 years ago when you said “When I retire I am going to Fish more.” Maybe you wanted to have more time to go snipe hunting? If you are sitting on your ass waiting for the snipe to just show up you are going to have a long wait. Besides, they are a rascally critter.

Some Examples:

• Fish
• Golf
• Camping/RVing
• Photography
• Cooking
• Gardening
• Dancing
• Genealogy
• Are you slow? Figure it out yourself, I can’t do everything!

Learn to Play an Instrument or Sing In a Group

Learn a Language in Retirement

My wife and I are learning Italian. Learning a new language is a great way to exercise your mind. You know how you keep forgetting things? What was I talking about …. Oh yeah language. Keeping your mind sharp may help you remember where your car keys are, or maybe your car. We use the Duolingo app on our phones to learn Italian. It offers both paid and free versions to suit your needs. I combine Duolingo with Google Translate. Duolingo won’t teach you the cuss words, but Google Translate will! At least you can swear in Italian while looking for your keys.

Write/Blog/Teach/Mentor

I started this blog for something to do in retirement. It took quite a while to get to where I am now as I knew nothing about building a website. This website isn’t glitzy, but I’m not either so it’s appropriate. My computer background was back when you used a vampire tap (drill) to tap into the internet. I learned a lot doing this about web design and writing. It was interesting and frustrating at times but I am still learning new things.

Maybe you have an idea or 2 stuck in your head. What the hell, write a book or start a website. Do you have a special skill you could teach someone? We have a technology club here that helps people with their computers, smart home devices etc.

De-clutter and/or Sell Your Clutter

All that crap you have been hauling around every time you move, get rid of it! You probably have too much shit anyway, everybody does. Why the hell do you think we have so many Self Storage Units in this country? It is for all the crap we ran out of space for in our houses! Does anyone actuality store themselves in a Self Storage Unit? Shouldn’t it be called a Stuff Storage Unit? Just wondering aloud?

I did get rid of a lot of crap however and never missed it. Also, some of my older unwanted collectibles actually had some value. I got on eBay and sold a bunch of stuff. It doesn’t take much time or effort to take a picture of something and get it onto eBay or Craigslist.

Make a friend. I am still working on this.

Everyone says having more friends as you get older is the key to staying young and happy in retirement. That means I should already be dead! Honestly, since we moved to a retirement community my wife has more friends than ever and they put up with me too. So join a club or volunteer, you don’t want to isolate yourself. Here in North Carolina we are in a wine club which is a lot of fun. It is a lot easier to make friends when you are drinking!

So find something to do and don’t wait until tomorrow, it never comes!