Retirement Wishes

We Boomers have an unprecedented opportunity to fulfill our deepest retirement wishes. We are the healthiest, wealthiest, best educated generation to reach retirement age and we will live longer than any generation yet.

Though the media bombards us with images of happy Boomers fulfilling their retirement wishes through sound financial planning, studies show the strongest factor in life satisfaction is how much time a person spends doing the things they do best, enjoy the most, and find the most meaningful.

With the extension of our productive years and the free time to pursue our passions, retirement means we can enjoy life in ways we never could before. We may wish to return to school for the pure joy of learning or train for a new skill. We may want to turn an old interest into a full time pursuit, become a tennis pro or start a rock band.

Because an avocation is pursued for personal rather than financial rewards does not mean it is not taken seriously. A true avocation is completely absorbing and demands our best. Nor is payment necessarily a measure of ability or competence. If it were, Van Gogh could not be considered a true artist. He never derived his livelihood through painting. Working for pay may actually be a detriment to creativity. Professional artists and athletes often confess they did their best work before turning “pro.”

Somehow we are drawn to what suits us best. What interests us most nourishes our true talents. When we watch a skater execute a perfect triple jump do we see the years of practice, sweat and pain it took to execute that one exquisite moment? Perhaps talent is just an intense focusing of energy; a fascination for something backed up by dedication, discipline, determination and willingness to sacrifice for what we love.

You do not need to justify to anyone why you like something. Houdini must have looked pretty silly tying himself up with rope before his genius was recognized. If it has validity for you, go for it! Where do your true interests lie? The Arts? Collecting? Gardening? Family history? Pets? Lifelong Learning? The possibilities are endless.

Retirement Success Depends on How You Spend Your Time

Not Your Money