A visit to the doctor these days often involves a blood test. Amazingly, a few cubic centimetres of blood expertly removed from a vein yields a plethora of results. In a only a short time the blood analysis machine analyses your sample and churns out estimates of a long list of qualities, including for example, the density of red blood cells, and how much haemaglobin they contain, and the concentrations of the various types of white blood cells. Then these results can be matched with the ranges of results expected from normal blood. On reading the report your doctor can confirm you are healthy or advise that something may be wrong and a further examination will be necessary.
What is the state of your retirement? Is it healthy or perhaps deficient in some way? No, you don’t need a blood test, and you can examine yourself. The following questions may reveal a need for change.:
1. Are you enjoying life? Or are you bored, lonely or depressed? Do you feel that your life is slipping away and out of your control? In which case it is time to look at inputs and outcomes. What would constitute a meaningful life for you? What do you need to change to improve your situation?
2. How many friends do you have? Not Facebook friends, but real ones, ones you can share a coffee or a meal with, and chat about your needs and experiences. Are there fewer than when you were working? Perhaps the number has declined over the past few years. So what are you going to do about this?
3. How is your physical and mental health? Are you maintaining a good level of fitness? Are you thinking, reading, learning and writing? This is an aspect of retirement where you have to put something in to get something out. More than just maintaining health, we need to challenge ourselves. It is too easy to opt out of activities with the excuse of old age.
4. How much time do you spend on routine and habitual activities? It is too easy to claim the need to clean and tidy, to cut lawns and wash the car, when you could get out and be more innovative and active. Don’t let your possessions possess you. They’ll still be there when you come back.
5. How much are you giving back to your community? You may be privileged in being able to enjoy a long retirement with sufficient funds to cover your living costs. But there are many who are not so lucky. Society offers many opportunities to contribute time and energy to helping the needy, through mentoring, teaching, coaching, supervising, visiting and advising. Making a difference in someone else’s life can add value to yours.
Renaissance not Retirement 