The generation of people trying to plan retirement in this day and age are most likely very confused as to how and when to proceed. They are trying to plan retirement in the midst of total chaos.
Is this any wonder?
When I invited all of our readers to “grow old with me” I had no idea that the world would be in such a state as I began to approach the age of retirement.
I’m getting older every day and the world is getting crazier.
This year alone we have been through pandemic, work environments shifting, national crisis after crisis, financial unrest, unprecedented inflation, governmental interference with some people’s bank accounts because of their political stance, unstable investments because of the national debt and the printing of so much money, the loss of so many freedoms, wars and rumors of wars and much financial unrest all over the earth.
At this point; absolutely nothing is predictable.
How can we move beyond this and begin to enjoy retirement?
ASK GOD FIRST
If I didn’t know that God was in control; I would be scared to death! I’m sure I’m not the only one out here on this limb called; “when would be the right time to retire?”
I DO trust God. Also, I know that He COULD desire for me to keep on working.
That possibility has surfaced in spite of my own grand plans that have begun to look a tad shaky as the inevitable date looms closer and closer.
I’ve really pondered the right way to think about this situation.
There are a few things I consider absolutely necessary before anyone decides to completely forego the working world. Here are a few of my first thoughts:
BE SOLID IN YOUR FAITH
Any life change is always easier when you are holding the hand of God.
Prayer life should be focused on seeking His will above the picture-perfect, post-card image that the world wants to paint for you when it comes to retirement.
Newsflash: not all photos will look the same!
EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT
I have been reading books and listening to retirement counsellors. One of the favorites I pay close attention to offered the following advice:
Think of your retirement as a Normal Rockwell painting. Look at the canvas closely. What will be painted there? What do you see happening in your own life?
PAINT YOUR OWN CANVAS
The thing I’ve noticed about Norman Rockwell paintings is the way he captures people’s personalities.
How will the personalities of all those around you play into your life when you finally retire?
WHO ARE YOUR PEOPLE?
How will your retirement affect those that you love the most?
Maybe you are like me and you have been blessed with the fact that at least one of your parents are still alive. How will this affect your retirement?
PARENTS
Will you be spending a lot of your time caring for them?
Do you need to make arrangements to have extra space in your home to care for someone who is aging beyond your age?
The way you set up your retirement will make a difference in how much of a blessing this can be to your home; or how much trouble you will have in dealing with many issues for your loved ones.
If you are like me; you will choose to aim at the “blessing” part of this equation and hope that your aging parents will spend their last days enjoying life at your home and surrounded by you, your grown kids and their great grand-children.
Of course, the parent has to cooperate in order to make this happen. We all have different situations; but having everything in place to be able to offer such arrangements (if needed) is a great way to go into retirement.
YOUR CHILDREN
Retirement is the time to think of all the things you wish to leave behind for your grown children. What do you want to write down on legal papers that will leave the best of your life’s blessings to them? Having those home repairs up-to-date will make your home a better place to pass on. As you prepare to make it a good place for your parents (if needed) also be thinking of how you will pass on your home when you leave this earth and move into a much larger mansion.
It all starts with planning for your parents and then that plays into and spills over to the investment of a home you will leave to your grown children one day.
GETTING EVERYTHING POLISHED AND UP-TO-DATE
One side-benefit to this scenario is the fact that if you no longer need this part of your home you prepared for your parents old-age; you will have an updated section of the house that can be rented out for extra income, or a place where someone can live to take care of you in old age (if needed.)
Any way to make extra income after retirement is a good thing when handled correctly.
Many people do not wish to be dealing with renters or having to keep up the repairs to a home in their golden years though.
You can always sell your home and use that money as income for your retirement; and/or to help pay for a place to care for your aging parents whenever needed. You can put away profit to care for your own needs when you are unable to do so for yourself.
YOURSELF
That brings us to the fact that not only could you have aging parents to care for during retirement; but you may also need the same care at some point in time.
Don’t count on the fact that your spouse or a relative will always be able to tend to your needs.
The chaotic society we life in today has not left most families with loads of cash to stash away for a rainy day. Your grown kids are probably just able to make a good living for themselves and maybe trying to arrange one for you would be a lot of trouble for them.
PLAN FOR THE LONG TERM
Most retirement counsellors will advise you to have a plan for long term care.
How can you make this necessity line up with your own personal Norman Rockwell painting?
Here is your opportunity to think outside the box and to use your imagination. Nothing is impossible if you think it through.
If you think about it long enough; you will begin to formulate the plan that will work out best for you.
PLAN FOR YOUR SPOUSE
At first you may only be thinking of the happy fact that both you and your spouse are about to enjoy retirement together.
What about the health of your spouse?
Will you be spending a lot of your retirement tending to the needs of your spouse because of health problems?
What needs to be set in place to help you to accommodate their needs? There needs to be a plan for this whether your spouse is healthy or not. You never know when the world might decide to change right around you.
Expect the unexpected and plan for it; then enjoy the fact that it doesn’t happen.
THOSE GRANDKIDS
Do your grandkids need homeschooling?
Are their parents busy with working and making a living and maybe they need a little help with child care needs?
Decide BEFORE you retire whether or not you will be available and offer your services for this. It could become your greatest blessing in your old age.
For some however, it could also be the end to the freedom that they have always longed for during their working career.
Weigh these things out. Think about how they look in your own personal Normal Rockwell painting and decide ahead of time how you will live.
THIS IS YOUR PAINTING
We have looked at many of the Norman Rockwell people that might make up our painting of retirement; but you may add others too, such as neighbors and close friends and other relatives. Just be careful to stick to the fact that this is your final painting.
YOU are the artist; not the rest of the world.
Most of all; consider that this painting is a picture of the last of your precious moments of life. Try to arrange life with those you love around how you most want to be spending your time.
Time is the most precious gift God ever gave to us.
For some time is all about living and sharing with others that they love. Others however wish for freedom and less stress and more time to travel and do all of the things they did not do when they were working.
YOUR BUCKET LIST
Make a final bucket list.
Put your heart’s desires in the order of importance.
Start crossing off that list now; and plan how the rest of that list can be accomplished when you retire.
The beginning of this exercise will look so impossible! There WILL be things that you cannot make happen, but you never know until you sit down and think it through.
THE FIRST STEP IS TO DREAM
Often what looks impossible one day begins to seem possible later.
Having a clear picture in your head gives you the goal to aim towards.
You can be practical in the next step of planning.
This is just our FIRST article on this subject. It is always important to dream before facing reality; because our dreams sometimes spill over into making our realities better.
As a first step only; look at the perfect picture for you and list what it will take to make that happen.
Later we will take a reality check; but this will get the wheels turning in the right directions.
DON’T FAIL TO PLAN IF YOUR SITUATION LOOKS HARD
Remember; if you do not have a plan; it is the same as planning to fail.
The first part of any plan is to realize what is the BEST way to set goals to make that plan happen with the BEST possible outcome.
Dream out your retirement today and pray about it. Later we will look at reality and what that means toward reaching those goals.
You might be surprised how everything will fall into place; even if you haven’t thought it would work before.
GET EDUCATED
I want to recommend a great book for planning in this direction. The blog will be doing a book review of this book in the near future; but you can go ahead and order it if you wish. The book is called RETIRE WITH FREEDOM by Tad Hill. It is a very personable book that will hold your interest, unlike many books written about financial matters.
Tad Hill offers excellent retirement advice. His lovely wife Toni works right at his side. She too has excellent advice for those seeking the best route toward retirement. They are a fantastic team if you need retirement direction.
Just check out the links below if you are interested in purchasing his book.
This is just the first of many more thoughts on retirement. We plan to post more thoughts and ideas in our GROW OLD WITH ME topics throughout 2022.
If you have retirement on your mind; keep checking those topics as we go through this crazy, ever-changing year in an evolving ever-changing culture.
The world has never been like this before; BUT…….
We can figure this out together!