No matter how much time you spend preparing for retirement, knowing what to expect when you stop working can be difficult. What’s more, you may worry that your days will feel empty after leaving a fulfilling career. 

But with the right prep, retirement can be an exciting opportunity to use your well-developed career skills in a new way. While retirement often means spending more time with family and improving your traveling know-how, it can also be an opportunity to give back to your local community, find ways to pass your skills onto younger executives, and give you an opportunity to apply your knowledge in new ways. 

Here are a few ideas you can start thinking about today to make retirement an exciting next phase of life.

Explore New Destinations

Creating a bucket list of the things you want to accomplish in retirement will give you purpose and focus, helping to make your transition into retirement more enjoyable. Here are a few passions our clients plan to pursue after they retire: 

• Traveling the world: Many of our clients are excited to spend time exploring a bucket list of destinations around the globe. What places are most exciting to you? 
• Exploring new hobbies: From learning how to play an instrument to throwing pottery to rock climbing, it can be exciting to finally have the time to pursue your passion projects. 
• Visiting family: For many, retirement is a key component to visiting family – especially if they don’t live locally. Knowing you’ll be able to visit without time restrictions can be freeing! 
• Move somewhere new: After retirement, you’re not tied to your home state for work. Where would you live and explore once that becomes an option? 

Create a Plan to Volunteer

Volunteering can be a great way to meet new people and give back to the community. It’s also an excellent opportunity for social connection. Volunteerism is quite scalable depending on the time you’re interested in giving. For example, volunteering once a week at your grandchild’s school can offer significant enjoyment. Joining the Board of Directors at a non-profit you’re passionate about comes with a higher time commitment, but may be a better fit for the level of fulfillment you seek. 

Understanding how you want to be involved – and how much time you want to share – is as important as finding the right organization to work with. You can start looking for opportunities to get involved now to help yourself determine the types of organizations you’d like to volunteer with in retirement.

Join a Club

There are so many clubs you can choose from that fit your interests, including book clubs, meditation groups, and bird-watching clubs. Many people prefer golf, and joining a country club can be ideal for this. What’s more, these options are not just for retirees.

If you’re looking for something with a social aspect and physical activity, which both provide mental benefits, try signing up for an adult sports league near you. For more focus on mental well-being and intellectual pursuits, look into local chess games, trivia teams, or other activities that stimulate your brain in new ways.

Look for New Leadership Opportunities

One of the challenges in leaving a high-profile role for retirement is the adjustment in going from leading a large team or company, to just leading yourself. With proper preparation, you can find opportunities to continue leveraging your leadership skills in different ways. 

• Finding a for-profit Board of Directors to serve on is one way some of our clients keep their pulse on the business world while moving towards retirement. Using your current connections to find the right fit, serving on a Board is something you can continue doing into your retirement years after you’ve left your main career. 
• Teaching as an adjunct professor at a local college is another opportunity for you to put your deeply honed skills to work without dedicating yourself to a grueling schedule. This also allows you to leave a different kind of legacy with the skills you’ve worked hard to develop throughout the course of your career by passing those skills and experiences on to the next generation of leaders. 
• Becoming a mentor for younger executives or business owners through a trade organization or industry group is another way you can use your skillset in new ways.
• You could also consider starting a blog or podcast to share the knowledge you’ve built during your career in a way that’s mentally stimulating and leaves you feeling fulfilled.

You Can Find Joy in Post-Retirement Life by Making Time for What’s Most Important to You

Having a sense of purpose is a vital part of life, and it’s never too late to start developing one. With the right preparation, your purpose can keep you feeling happy and fulfilled long past retirement, while also leaving you less anxious when considering your future retiree status.

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