Retiree: Did You Put it Off Til Tomorrow?

Not sure I know what a blog is supposed to look like but here it is...

The scourge of the retired person is often the opposite of the working person: one has too much time- the other, not enough. As a retiree, how many times have you said- “I’ll do it tomorrow?” but tomorrow never comes because that thing you want to get done never seems to get done. Some folks protest: I’m busier now than before I retired. Yes, but busy doing “what” is the key. Are you spinning in endless busyness that has little value? The question is what kind of activity will be beneficial to your growth and mental activity and keep you engaged in learning and living a life you fully enjoy. If you had a good work experience, we need to understand what made us thrive in that environment. Was it camaraderie of folks you had something in common with? Maybe it was attending to several tasks at the same time; being stretched constantly to do something new; connecting with different types of people, or just the stimulation of an active work setting.

It is important to note that when these types of stimulation’s cease, the brain function slows down. Participation in the ABLE study at UC Riverside has helped me to realize how important this continuing challenge of the brain is for our well-being as we age. I plan to keep watch so that I don’t let my natural inclination to slow down take over just because I am aging and looking advanced years in the face. Maybe this is the time for you and me to take up the challenge of that lifelong desire, maybe something still on our bucket list, that we never had time for. It’s never too late, just don’t put it off til tomorrow.

RAH