How men can have successful golden years
Are you ready to retire? After full-time work, it is time to obtain a new life. The right planning can create successful golden years, instead of a life full of endless Saturdays. Both men and women should regard retirement as an opportunity to seek new challenges, and plan to achieve your goals, whatever they may be.
What type of retirement don’t you want?
Happy golden years for men and women can depend on good health and sound finances, as we all value our independence. So, factors for men to consider are: timing of retirement, your emotional readiness, your finances (enough to retire?), how to ease the transition to retirement, your retirement income, where to live in retirement and your retirement readiness.
Most of us in the millennium, retiring baby boomers, anticipate our new leisure time as we enter our golden years, the Third Age. Women are more used to being home bodies, or nurturing while working, and multi-tasking. Many men do not handle retirement as well, and can spend hours slumped in front of a television, becoming socially isolated.
So, what else can they be doing?
Instead of doing the “veg out”, retirement is the time to pursue your passions. A fulfilling hobby can bring hours of joy to either gender. Retirement interests can expand your creativity, and add joie de vivre to your leisure time.
Here are some tips for masculine retirement hobbies which might appeal. There are interest groups and senior groups for everyone in the community. Resources can be found in your local library, or your local Council, or your U3A. (University of the Third Age).
You could try: chess; reading and a book club; ham radio; playing the guitar; dancing; woodworking; gardening; classic cars; metalworking; archery or marksmanship; lawn or ten pin bowling; photography; art; writing; music; collecting anything that interests you, such as stamps or coins, or anything else; amateur astronomy; billiards or pool; hiking; letter writing; leather work; model building; learn a language or new skill; genealogy; attend a gym; camping or grey nomading; working part-time; sports—follow a big league or local team, or mentor junior sports clubs or grandchildren; whittling, very relaxing and creative; computers; geocaching; cooking; walking; cycling; or motor cycling.
These are only suggestions, in the range of traditional male pursuits.
You can determine what interests you, and add your own ideas. Have fun learning new leisure past times!