How NOT to
Retire Happy — Easier Than Shooting Fish in a Barrel!
How NOT to Retire
Happy
If you really believe that happiness can be bought, then why don’t you try
selling some of yours?
— from Life's Secret Guide to
Happiness
Strong Signs That You May Not Be
Ready
for Full-Time
Retirement
1. You have been unhappy all your working life and have been waiting for retirement to make you
happy.
2. Planning a vacation is more fun than taking it.
3. Vacations have always taken a back-seat to work commitments.
4. You have no hobbies or other interests outside of work.
5. Your best friends are people you work with and who you don't like all that much.
6. All of the social functions you attend are work related.
7. The thought of spending a lot more time at home with your spouse makes you extremely anxious
or dejected.
8. Your spouse has always wanted you to get a life outside of work, but you haven't.
9. You don't know the meaning of sabbatical, let alone having ever dreamed of or actually taken
one.
10. You have no nest egg because you have been expecting a big lottery win to fund your
retirement dreams.
11. On weekends your wife (or husband) constantly complains about you getting into her (his)
hair.
12. You persistently think of work, even when you're not on the job.
13. You are proud to be a workaholic even though deep down you know that workaholics aren't
productive workers..
14. You would resist The
World's Best Retirement Book, particularly if it was given to you by friends,
colleagues, or relatives.
What if you decide NOT to follow the
principles of The World's
Best Retirement Book?
-
You
will NOT discover the valuable tools such as The Get-a-Life
Tree that are necessary to create a retirement filled with satisfying leisure
activities and
happiness.
-
You may wind up spending your retirement with few or no friends. Bear in
mind that a recent study shows that having a few real good friends — much more so than close relatives or a lot of
money — is the most
important factor in determining how long a person lives and how much happiness he or she will
experience.
-
You may end up blowing
your money and having to go back to work instead of being creative with your spending and
making your money last.
-
In pursuit of
happiness, your retirement years may be spent watching a lot of TV — and not much more. For the record, studies have shown that most
people get mildly depressed after watching three or four hours
of TV.
-
You may wind up
being truly miserable in your retirement years — much more miserable than you were in your
career.
Hardly the stuff of a great retirement,
right?
Retirement
Activities to Help You
Retire Happy, Wild, and
Free
One thing that I do know is that the
leisurely retirement activities in my retirement will be much different from that of typical North
Americans.
One week into retirement, you'll be so damned bored that you'll want to
stick bicycle spokes into your eyes. You'll probably opt to look for another job or start
another company. Kinda defeats the purpose of waiting [for retirement], doesn't
it.
— Timothy Ferris in The 4-Hour
Workweek
According to a recent national survey of
800 American adults age 60 to 74 conducted for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, taking care of the yard and
spending time with grandchildren were statistically tied for top billing among married/partnered men while
spending time with grandchildren was the clear favorite among married/partnered women.
Main Retirement Activities for American Male Retirees
- Taking care of things around the house and yard (28
percent)
- Spending time with grandchildren or other family
members (26 percent)
- Enjoying things like playing golf, shopping, going
out with friends (18 percent)
- Pursuing hobbies (12
percent)
- Volunteering in the community (seven
percent)
- Watching where your money goes, clipping grocery
coupons, etc. (six percent)
Main Retirement Activities for American Female Retirees
- Spending time with grandchildren or other family
members (36 percent)
- Taking care of things around the house and yard (25
percent)
- Enjoying things like playing golf, shopping, going
out with friends (16 percent)
- Pursuing hobbies (eight
percent)
- Watching where your money goes, clipping grocery
coupons, etc. (seven percent)
- Volunteering in the community (three
percent)
My retirement activities will be more in line
with what I recommend in How to Retire Happy, Wild,
and Free .
Retirement leisure pursuits should entail a lot of physical activity. The benefits of physical activity is
not to be underestimated.
Some Positive Quotes about
Retirement
If you want to retire happy, then believe the following quotes about
retirement and happiness:
Prescription for a Happy
Retirement:
Purpose enough for satisfaction;
Sanity enough to know when to play and rest;
Wealth enough for basic needs;
Affection enough to like many and love a few;
Self-respect enough to love yourself;
Charity enough to give to others in need;
Courage enough to face difficulties;
Creativity enough to solve problems;
Humor enough to laugh at will;
Hope enough to expect an interesting tomorrow;
Gratitude enough to appreciate what you have;
Health enough to enjoy life for all its worth.
— from one of Ernie Zelinski retirement gift books
Just think how happy you would be if you lost everything you have right now, and then
got it back.
— Unknown Wise Person
Be content with what you have;
rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize there is nothing lacking,
the whole world belongs to you.
— Tao Te Ching
My life is even fuller now since
retirement.
The big difference is that now I decide when to start my
day. Truth be told, sometimes my day doesn't start until noon. Yes, I said it ... noon!
— Unknown wise person
No longer having to punch a time clock is my definition of retirement. That way I
could do what I want — when I want — anytime I want.
— Brooky Brown
My favorite thing [about retirement] was being able to
stay up reading a Dean Koontz thriller because I don't have to hit the floor running the next
morning.
— Jackie Griffey
I look at what I have not and think myself unhappy;
Others look at what I have and think me happy.
— Joseph Roux
After I retired, I sat down and listed the positives and negatives of my life and found
I had far more positives than negatives.
— Unknown wise person
If you haven't got all the things you want, be grateful for the things you don't have
that you don't want.
— Unknown wise person
If you are not happy here and now, you never will be.
— Taisen Deshimaru
"Ah retirement!" Whoever said that retirement was boring
doesn't have a clue.
— Barbara Claire Schaefer
When one door of happiness closes, another opens;
But often we look so long at the closed door, that we do not see the one which has been opened for
us.
— Helen Keller
Purchase
the Latest Edition of How to Retire Happy,
Wild, and Free Today Through
These Direct Links:
Copyright 2022 by Ernie
Zelinski,
Author of The World's
Best Retirement Book
All Rights
Reserved
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