I’m retired – know my limits

What are your limits in retirement? Surely you can’t expect to do all the things you did at twenty when you are looking at three times that age or more! On the other hand reading all the literature about retirement might lead you to believe you can do anything, and maybe you can! Let’s explore limits.

Do I really want to do it?

Step one to looking at your limits is to ask yourself what is being limited and do you even care. We all approach retirement with ideas of what we want to do and things we want to accomplish. In some cases those ideas formed many years ago. Maybe twenty years ago you decided you would climb Everest as soon as you were retired and had time. Add to that what the media and advertisers say retirement should be. Everyone needs to take a round the world cruise as soon as they retire, right?

Well what happens if you now could care less about climbing Everest? Or what if being cooped up on a cruise ship for weeks on end gives you hives just thinking about it? The point is that what is important now to you is your decision, and advertising or baggage from your past should not enter into the picture.

Am I really limited?

Once you really know what you want to do the next step is to take a first pass at deciding if there is any limitation that would stop you. Let’s say you really do want to climb Everest and decide that is simply impossible due to your age. Do some research. You would find that the oldest person to climb Mt Everest was Yuichiro Miura, at the age of 80. (By the way I’m not saying climbing Mt Everest is a good idea – Mr Miura almost died during the descent!)

Can I do it slower?

Sometimes you really do have some real physical limitation. If so ask yourself the simple question can I do it, but only a little slower. Often the answer is yes. Maybe that backpacking hike can be spread over 4 days instead of 2, and it even might be more enjoyable that way.

What parts can I do?

Sometimes that impossible goal becomes possible if you break it into more manageable parts. Consider an around the world trip. Maybe you say that is financially impossible right now, and it really is. Maybe you can do part of it this year and then the rest spread over the next ten years. A side advantage would be that it gives you something to look forward to for years to come. Or maybe you think the coolest part of an around the world trip would be visiting Japan and you decide that part is doable and you do it.

Are limits only in my mind?

The bottom line is that most limits are mostly limits in our imagination rather than real limits. Get that imagination muscle working and most limits are either not really that important, or simply do not really exist!

Until next time…

This article is all about some fun reminiscing and a little daydreaming.  You get to think about your younger days, from when you were a little kid until you were a young adult.  You know the time I mean: before the world made you conform to reality and beat you up a little.  Doing so can give you hints as to what will excite you in retirement.  What did you want to be when you grew up?

Did you want to be a Train Engineer, a Race Car Driver, Ballerina, or an Astronaut?

Tell the truth.  At some point you wanted to be one of the above!  Let’s use them as examples and see where they might lead to interests in retirement.

Train Engineer

Can you:

• Take short or long train trips
• Build a model train layout
• Travel around taking pictures of trains and train stations
• Collect and/or read books on trains
• Start a train related website or small business.

Race Car Driver

Can you:

• Go to races
• Race model or RC Control cars
• Visit famous race tracks
• Restore a hot but old classic car
• Start a race car related web site or small business

Ballerina

Can you:

• Attend Ballets
• Organize trips for others or seniors to attend ballets
• Volunteer and assist a young people’s ballet class
• Collect ballet slippers
• Start a web business selling young people’s slippers and outfits

Astronaut

Can you:

• Collect space exploration pictures
• Build model spacecraft and rockets
• Watch a real rocket launch
• Collect books on space exploration
• Build a website showing what prior and current astronauts are doing now

My Story – Astronomer, Park Ranger, Scientist, Storekeeper

OK, so its time to come clean on some of my young career plans.  At different points I wanted to be:

• An Astronomer
• A Park Ranger
• A Scientist
• A Storekeeper

So what could I do in retirement or semi retirement?

Astronomer

• Get into amateur astronomy (great way to make new friends,) maybe get a new telescope
• Collect space pictures
• Start an Astronomy library
• Visit dark sky locations around the country

Park Ranger

• Volunteer in a state or national park
• Visit every national park
• Visit every state park in my state.
• Build a very detailed guide of nearby parks and post it on the web.

A Scientist

• Set up an amateur laboratory
• Buy a microscope and learn how to use it
• Collect science books
• Pick a science subject I like and build a very detailed web site
• Find a way to volunteer and introduce young people to science

Storekeeper

• Open a small web store specializing in something that interests me
• Open a retail business
• Make part time income working in a store

 It’s time to grow up –  what dreams can you fulfill?

Now it is your turn.  Hopefully you get the idea from the examples above.  Start by doing a little of that reminiscing and daydreaming.  List a few of your early career ideas.  Then, instead of just a few activities try to list 10 or more for each.  Hopefully from that list you will come up with some that both excite you and are relatively feasible.  As you gain experience with the easier ones you’ll gain confidence to try the more adventurous!

Until next time…