Unexpected Perks of Retirement

What to look forward to most when you have the freedom to pursue your passions.

● A corporate executive hands over the reins of the business to spend more time working on his golf game

● A small business owner accepts an offer to sell the store and move on to her next big thing

● A young writer/producer “retires” from the television industry to pursue a career in the non-profit arena

The possibilities of modern retirement have many of us thinking about an entirely new definition of what it means to retreat from “the working life.” Long considered well-earned free time, today’s “retirement” looks more like “reinvention,” a time of change as we take our lives –and our livelihood- to a more productive, meaningful and purposeful place. Add to this the fact that we’re living longer- our life expectancy after retirement age (65 years) has risen almost three years since 1980- and we’re looking at a whole new retirement plan, for sure.

Still - however you define it, retirement has its perks.

There is much to look forward to:

1. You’ll have control over your entire day. Gone are the commutes, the breakfast meetings, the late-night-come-to-Jesus calls with your IT folks. Your time suddenly becomes your own. Your to-do list morphs into your want-to-do list. How refreshing! AS long as you have your health, you can putter or put the petal to the medal. It’s up to you, not the must-do’s.

2. You can dream up a new answer for, “What do you do?”

3. You’ll have time to learn about yourself. Free from the distraction of a career, you can imagine what really matters to you and dedicate your days to pursuing special projects. You can dig deeper, climb higher, linger longer … and get a richer understanding of who you are and who you might become.

4. You can use your computer –and other devices- in a whole new way.

5. You’ll have the chance to broaden your perspective. Pursue all those other interests you’ve locked away to the back of your mind, while you were honing the skills of your trade. Learn a new language, travel, cook, write. Whatever you want to be doing, whatever captures your interest, you are now free to explore. Or not.

6. You can finally take withdrawals from your retirement accounts, collect Social Security payments and sign up for Medicare.

7. You’ll have to find a place for all your retirement gifts! Whether it’s an award plaque from the corporate team, a commemorative clock from the boss, a picture frame from a favorite coworker, or a wine case from the family, congratulate that new retiree with customization that include names, work dates, inspirational quotes and heartfelt dedications, as well as personal photos or company logos.