While the developed
World has done a lot of work to support people reaching the age of
superannuation and have set up strong support systems for the elderly to help
combat their loneliness, we are still in early stages of recognizing the
challenges of retirement, leave alone understanding the symptoms of retirement
and aging.
As I started to plan my
own life post retirement, I decided to put down some of the issues that I have
grappled with all my life and moving forward, I knew that I would have to
address these challenges and resolve them to my own satisfaction.
Unclutter
your life
You have spent the
first two decades of your life studying very hard to achieve what you have
today. You have led a very busy working life for over three decades and enjoyed
every moment of it. Every year you have told yourself that this year is the
most crucial year for you and if you get what you are hoping for, you will slow
down. You have supported your family admirably.
When did you stop to
think about yourself? And your spouse? Most of us have spent our lives running
from airports to hotels. Have you had a chance to stop and see the sights of
the city you are visiting? Or sample the specialty cuisine of the city or
country? Now is the time to stop to take stock of your life. To smell the roses
and breathe in the fresh air.
Remove
negativity
So much of our time is
spent in criticizing friends and family. We seem to revel in the problems being
faced by our near and dear ones. We love to gossip about others and we tend to
get hurt by what someone may have said about us even though we may not have
directly heard this.
Now is the time to cut
out the negativity in our lives. Our negative thoughts is not hurting anyone
else – only ourselves. You may not say positive things about another but you
can definitely stop saying negative things.
Stop
collecting. Start giving
In the words of Socrates,
“He is nearest to God who needs the fewest things.”
You have collected and
hoarded all your life. You have never given away anything. Remember that you
don’t need most of what you have. Be generous. It is time to start giving away.
If you have not used something for 6 months, it is highly likely that you will
not use it all.
Clear
your calendar
You have lived a life
which has been driven by schedules, your assistant and your watch. You have not
had a moment to call your own. It is time to clear up your calendar of unwanted
and unnecessary activities and commitments that you have had every day of your
life.
Aspire to reach a stage
where you are no longer a slave to someone else’s time or dependent on when
another person will be able to “fit you in”. So practice saying no to excessive
demands on your time and don’t feel guilty about injecting a dose of leisure
time into your daily routine.
Keep
free time for yourself
How often have you
thought to yourself “I wish I had more time to do things that I want to?” Your
time is your own. You are the master of your time and you must never allow
anyone else to determine your priorities.
Between work
commitments, family commitments, social commitments and so many other
commitments most of us after three decades of working look back and think of
what we may have achieved had we given ourselves the time that we think we
deserve.
Free time for myself is
very valuable and I look forward to my time alone. Now is the time to free
yourself and give yourself all the time you ever thought you needed.
Meditation
and Yoga
Meditation is very
therapeutic in setting the mind at peace. Sitting down to meditate will allow you
to introspect on the previous day, your life, your biases, your likes and
dislikes and your negative thoughts. A combination of yoga, meditation and
introspection will do wonders for your mind and body and will give you a lot to
look forward to every day.
Hobby
Today is the time for
us to restart our hobbies. Pull out your stamp and coin album to organise your
collection. Pick up your camera, your favourite music instrument and start playing
again – you may sound screechy and noisy but it is a matter of time before the
rhythm comes back and the noise becomes music.
Play card games or
chess, golf or tennis, go out sampling different cuisines and write a blog
about your experiences, take in the sights of your city or visit other cities
that you have wanted to. You have the earned your freedom.
Play
As a wise man said,
“You cannot be young all your life but you can certainly be immature for the
rest of your life”.
You may be
chronologically getting close to superannuation but mentally you don’t need to
be there. Remember that age is only a number and you are only as old as you
feel. Get back in touch with your real, playful self, and take every
opportunity to play! Notice how it makes everything so sweet, and so simple.
Have you tried to play
the numerous games available on your smartphone or you tablet? Once you get
hooked to a few games you will suddenly find a new community of friends who are
playing the same games as you.
Slow
Down
“There is more to life
than increasing your speed” said Mahatma Gandhi.
Slow down your
breathing so that you’re aware of each inhalation and exhalation. Slowing down
is also a state of your mind. If you keep fighting your own self every day,
guilty that you are doing less, you will be a very unhappy person. On the other
hand, if you internalise the fact that you are moving into a new phase of life
and that slowing down is a part of your new paradigm, the transition will not
be so painful and hard to accept.
Slow down your speech,
your inner thoughts, and the frantic pace of everything you have done over the
years. Take more time to hear others. Notice your inclination to interrupt and
get the conversation over with, and then choose to listen instead. You will
start to hear many things that you missed earlier in your conversations. You
will start to see your relationships with your family and your friends in a new
light. Stop to enjoy the stars on a clear night and the cloud formations on a
crisp day. Sit down in a mall and just observe how everyone seems in a hurry to
get nowhere.
Be
Conscious of your Health
A healthy body is what
you owe to yourself as you start your journey for the remaining one third of
your life. Most of us have abused our bodies through our working lives and our
bodies have responded admirably to all the stress and strain we have put it
through. In addition, we are also probably a little overweight and we have
blamed this on incessant travelling and poor eating at odd hours.
Now is the time to make
the change for your body, your temple. If you are not physically fit then
imagine the trouble you are planning to give to yourself in the next phase of
your journey we call life.
Start counting calories
and start an exercise regime.
Be
free of debt
Remember that you’re
attempting to simplify your life here, so you don’t need to purchase more of
what will complicate and clutter your life.
If you can’t afford it,
let it go until you can. You don’t need to buy something on your card and then
have to face the stress of paying your credit card bill. You are far better off
to have less and enjoy the days of your life than to take on debt and invite
stress and anxiety where peace and tranquility could have prevailed.
Take
every day as it comes
Every day is a new
beginning and we must be thankful for what we have.
There’s nothing more
awe inspiring than nature itself. The fantasy to return to a less tumultuous
life almost always involves the thoughts of living in the splendour of the
mountains, the forests or on an island; near the ocean or beside a lake. These
are universal urges, since nature is created by the same Source as we are
Look at so many of your
friends who did not make it as far as you have either professionally or
personally or have failing health and be thankful for what you have.
The new retirement is
about personal growth. It's a chance to mend fences, heal old wounds, and
really get to know yourself. Since you have more time, take up writing a
journal. Indulge in the luxury of going deep and understanding your life, your
relationships, and your lifetime motivations.
Your time must finally
belong to only to you.
*******************
The author is the founder Chairman of
Guardian Pharmacies and the author of 5 best-selling books, Reboot. Reinvent.
Rewire: Managing Retirement in the 21st Century; The Corner Office; An Eye for
an Eye; The Buck Stops Here - Learnings of a #Startup Entrepreneur and The Buck
Stops Here – My Journey from a Manager to an Entrepreneur.
Twitter: @gargashutosh
Instagram: ashutoshgarg56
Blog: ashutoshgargin.wordpress.com |
ashutoshgarg56.blogspot.com
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