Successful Retirement Starts With a Purpose

When you were working, you probably noticed that some people are better workers than others.

They’re more dependable, they get more done, and they usually do it well. They may arrive early in the morning, or simply on time, but once they check in for the day they’re an asset to the company.

They may not be the most capable, but they’re the most committed. They go about their work purposefully. There’s a reason they come back day after day – and it usually goes beyond money. Chances are they get some satisfaction from doing their job. It may be the challenge. It may be the teamwork and the other team members. Sometimes it’s the opportunity to make a positive difference in society. It may be the chance to teach or mentor others. Or it may simply be the opportunity to provide for a family by doing something halfway pleasant.

Other workers take a more haphazard approach to the typical workday. Whether they arrive on time or sneak in late, they’re in no hurry to kick off their day’s work. After sipping a few coffees and catching up on the news, they pick up where they left off midway through their last work day and do their best to stay under the radar until quitting time. Their primary purpose is simply to get through another work day and advance one day closer to the weekend. It certainly isn’t to achieve or contribute anything meaningful at work.

How is this connected to retirement?

The connection is that a successful approach to retirement is much like a successful approach to work. If you have a purpose—a set of goals meaningful to you – chances are you’ll accomplish a great deal and get some satisfaction out of almost every day. If you haven’t got a purpose and some goals to work toward, you’d better be prepared for boredom.

If you’re wondering what to do for retirement, start by setting priorities. Your priorities—not someone else’s. Don’t plan on filling your days according to what anybody else says you should do. Decide what’s most important to you at this stage in life, and plan accordingly. Take control.

Most important, don’t leave your retirement plans to chance. Purpose seldom arrives by accident once you’ve reached a certain age. Retirement is a time for you to be in control, taking advantage of the wonderful opportunity to fill your schedule—to the extent you choose – with activities that you find meaningful.

If you’re married, you and your spouse have the opportunity to determine how much your retirement activities will overlap and to what degree each of you can address individual priorities and interests. If you and your spouse don’t establish a purpose and set individual and mutual goals for retirement, you’ll probably spend a great deal of time during your golden years simply getting on each other’s nerves.

There really aren’t any rules that apply when it comes to selecting a primary purpose for your retirement—except one.

A purpose that extends beyond oneself is usually a far greater motivator than a purpose that is self-centered.

As you probably discovered long ago, this rule applies to every other aspect of life, and not just retirement. Someone who works only to accumulate personal wealth, for example, seldom shows the commitment of someone who’s working to meet the needs of a family or to contribute to the needs of a community. It’s the same with retirement. Someone whose retirement goals center exclusively on passing his or her time pleasantly or providing for his or her own personal comfort probably won’t have the level of motivation as someone who sets retirement goals that can address personal needs or interests while somehow benefiting other people.

Enjoy your retirement years—and let MedicareMall find the senior health plan that’s best designed for what you want to get out of retirement!

What’s your number one goal for retirement? Please leave a comment below!