What Will You Do When You Retire?
Introduction
"Old age ain't for sissies, honey." -- Bette Davis
Many Americans already in midlife will live from one-quarter to one-third of their lives after the traditional retirement age of 65. So, even if after you officially retire you continue to work part-time, travel widely, and participate in sports or other leisure activities, you will have plenty of time to do many other things. After talking to hundreds of older people, I'm convinced that the degree to which most people's retirement years are fulfilling has a great deal to do with how they spend this large chunk of discretionary time. People who are busily involved in a wide variety of activities -- both mental and physical -- are likely to do well. This probably doesn't surprise you. But what you may never have considered -- and something that could even make you rethink how you spend time today -- is that if you wait until retirement to start looking for interests that will happily occupy you, it may be too late. Put more bluntly, unless you develop habits of the mind, body, and heart in midlife that will allow you to lead a healthy, interesting, and socially connected retirement, you risk becoming one of those bored and boring old farts you walk around the block to avoid.
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