Retirement is a funny thing. So many people set their hopes on the day they get to retire, kick back, and relax. But if you talk to most retired people, they’ll tell you their lives seem busier than ever. I’ve heard it said that retirement is just getting new treads on the wheels. Get it? Re-tire.
Ok, but in all seriousness, why are retired people some of the busiest people? Well, here’s the conclusions I’ve come to.
- Planning. The days that are planned out in more detail always seem to be more productive. Retired people let planning go to the way side and as a result end up with more stuff on their plate than they were “planning” on.
- People assume. Society looks at retired people as having loads of time. So, a retired person ends up with all the calls to watch grand-kids, help with house projects, and running errands.
- Obligation. Retired feel some sense of obligation to help with all the incoming requests because otherwise they feel lazy since they have no “real” work.
So what’s my advice to all retired people? Ironically, it can be found in my last post The Rule of 3s. Creating priorities and getting involved in something that defines their life and creates structure will help get the message across to others that even though they’re not working a 9-5, they still have a life.
Personally, I cringe at the thought of retirement. It goes against my whole life philosophy. I believe you should do what you love, and if you love what you do, why would you want to stop!? Problem solved.