Six Things to Do Within the First Five Years of Your Retirement!

The better the retirement plan, the better the outcome of your retirement. When things go wrong, you may have the flexibility to adapt cater to the changing circumstances. You never know the ins and outs of retirement till you reach there. One big aspect of a retirement plan is to practice a dress rehearsal till you retire. Making a long-drawn-out transition to retirement can help you enjoy your retirement better. Here are some moves to make to enjoy a smooth transition to your retirement years.

Plan Your Vacation

If you have a burning desire to travel after your retirement, don’t wait. You can tick off the places in your bucket list, such as the Florida Keys, the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, or hiking around on the red rocks in southern Utah, or taking a raft down the Grand Canyon; fulfill your long-cherished travel goals.

You Can Switch to a Part-Time Schedule

Plan for a more flexible, remote, or part-time schedule before you retire. The New Flexible Retirement study shows that 25% of people 55 and over reported switching from full-time to part-time schedules as they approached retirement. If you work in a company that offers you a similar flexible opportunity, then take advantage of the opportunity and make the most of it.

Spend Time with Friends who are Already Retired

An active social network is a key behind enduring happiness. Transitioning to retirement becomes easy when you have close friends around you. This way, you are going to enjoy the new phase and enjoy your favorite activities. Whether you live in a new location or stay in your old one, your current social network may consist of people you spend most of your time with, say the people you worked with.

When you retire, your interests will change, and it will take some time to make new good friends. However, you need to give yourself some time to forge new friendships and make them stronger. Before you retire, start making new connections that give way to making lifelong friends.

Start Making New Hobbies or Rekindle New Ones

If you have pursued several hobbies and had to give up midway, then retirement is the perfect time to pursue it. Some hobbies which deserve mention are photography or skiing. They may need certain initial costs such as equipment and lessons. It may be a good idea to make a certain financial commitment, requiring a certain amount of planning. Frankly, when you have time to pursue your passions, you enjoy the phase even more. You may learn to ski when you are 60, and who knows, you can truly master the art of skiing in a few years.

 Make Expensive Renovations in the Initial Years of Retirement

Whether you plan to go for a full remodel or upgrade to new appliances, you can start your project right now. You may have more time when you retire, but your mindset may begin to change. You need to take time out if you start living off your nest egg. Later you may not want to spend a lump sum amount from your retirement kitty. You can either remodel dollars in a separate account, or you can start your project before you retire.  This will take your mind off your money concerns, and you will be able to invest in the renovations with a certain peace of mind.

Pursue Something New

Routines offer solace to confused souls. You can start with a solid fitness routine, something simple, easy-to-follow, and hence sustainable in the long run. Just a few stretching, a few pushups, or sit-ups can turn out to be a healthy fitness routine that would pay off rich dividends in the long run.

However, routines run the risk of getting boring, and hence your life can get stagnant. So, instead of your life becoming interesting and expanding, it can turn out to be staid and boring.

So, even if you stick to your preferred good old routine, attempt to do something new and exciting every week. It can be a long hike or water rafting or learning to cook something exotic at a culinary class new you.

Something you never thought you could try, but you did, and it surprised you no end as to how much you loved doing it! You can make your retirement life exciting and interesting if you try. Just set the tone in the initial years, and trust us. You will never regret it!