Retirement is an exciting time of life; whether you’re ready to embrace new experiences or take a breather from the chaos of a regular routine, the opportunities are endless and open. Everyone’s experience will be different, but we’ve got a few suggestions on what to do in retirement (and how to plan ahead).

1. Connect with Your Community

The neighborhood and city you live in is one of the best places to start as you grow your activism, volunteer involvement, friendships and hobbies. Local event calendars will become your greatest guide in identifying events, classes and opportunities in your area. Often, there are specific calendars dedicated to senior populations or retirees, if you’re looking to find other like-minded friends to add to your network.

If you want to volunteer but struck out of luck on local resources, consider using a mobile app to find new opportunities in your area. For example, GiveGab is a robust hub for service organizations to connect with volunteers and inform a broad network about their work. Search through and filter the listings to find the perfect fit for your individual interests.

2. Fulfill Lifelong Goals

Early in life, we all have a list of things we want to accomplish. While some of those “bucket list” items might be more adventurous like skydiving, others might be finishing a favorite book series or focusing on your mental health. Don’t be afraid to revisit that list, no matter how old it may be, and pick out a few items you’d like to pursue over the coming months and years. Avoid comparing yourself to others. Don’t worry about how others choose to spend their time or what they accomplish. This time is all about you!

3. Take Advantage of Senior Living Experiences

Senior living communities are designed to improve your quality of life, address your individual needs and decrease general maintenance time so you can focus all your energy on living a fulfilling life. If you or a loved one are considering moving to one of these communities, make sure to take advantage of all they have to offer. Step outside your living space. Participate in group activities or use the on-site amenities; it’s not often that you have all of these resources at your front door! 

4. Reorganize and Document Your Life

You’ve probably collected a lot of amazing memories over the past years; retirement is a great opportunity to organize and document those experiences! Whether you create displays for memorabilia or get into scrapbooking, it’s the perfect way to remember some of life’s moments that have brought you joy. If you want to try something new, consider digital scrapbooking through a mobile app or website. With hundreds of resources to choose from, you’ll be able to find the perfect fit for your documentation style.

5. Focus on the Five P’s of Retirement

Remember, making the most of your time in retirement is all about filling your time with things that you enjoy. To make planning easy, just remember the five essential P’s:

  • Purpose: what do I want to accomplish during this time, and what will be my core focus?
  • Place: where do I want to live, and will that place have the support I need to live my best life?
  • People: who do I want to be near, and how will I continually make new, meaningful friendships?
  • Passion: what can I do to stay motivated, engaged and excited during this time of life? Is there anything I haven’t tried yet that I want to start doing?
  • Peace: how can I make sure my retirement feels like rest, with peace of mind regarding my financial, living and quality of life conditions?

Figure out What to Do in Retirement to Live Your Best Life

Knowing what to do in retirement will come easily if you can define the answers to these questions the five Ps. Step out of your comfort zone. Allow yourself the opportunity to build a life that’s focused on your happiness!