5 Small Tips for Living a More Meaningful Life in Retirement

The search for meaning is a quest that, as human beings, we all seem to be pursuing. While we know what will not lead to a more meaningful life — more money, bigger “toys”, popularity or fame, for example — we often struggle to find the path that will lead us to a deeper satisfaction with the life we do have.

Here are five small tips you can try to add more meaning to yours.

1. Choose gratitude. If you put your focus on what you feel you’re lacking, you’ll continue to feel unhappy with what you do have. Instead, consciously choose to look at what you’re grateful for. 

 "Do you have at least one friend you can count on? A roof over your head? Good health? "

There are millions of people in the world who would answer “no” to those questions. Many people are struggling against debt from personal loans or mortgage payments. Others face hunger or poverty. You can be thankful just for the fact that you are not in one of those situations.



If you want to take it to an even deeper level, seek out ways to be thankful in difficult moments. You may be battling a serious illness; is it helping you to learn patience, or has it brought out the best in your loved ones as they show you more affection? 

 Our hard times have an immense potential to create growth in our lives — if we allow it to happen.

2. Serve others. It’s hard to feel bad about our own situation when we’re working to help someone less fortunate. What community organizations in your area could use an extra hand? 

 Who lives near you that might be touched by a gift of a plate of cookies or by finding that someone brought their trash bins in from the curb? We’re all given the same number of hours in a day; what you do with yours can make a difference for you and for someone else.

3. Keep learning. When we’re stuck in a rut, our brains get to feeling stagnant and unsatisfied. If you feel that way, take the opportunity to learn something new. No, you don’t have to go (back) to college: there are hundreds of ways you can add a skill or discover new facts for free.

Interested in learning a new language? Try Duolingo! Always wanted to be an astronomer? Check out the free classes on Coursera or one of the other Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) providers. And, it may be old-school, but your local public library has thousands of books in print and eBook format to lead you on a new intellectual adventure.

4. Practice mindfulness. Too often, we get caught up in worrying about the future and agonizing over the past. It may sound clichéd, but today truly is the only day we have. When we can pause, breathe, and focus on the here and now — even if only for a minute or two — it allows us to appreciate each day that we have and takes the power out of our worrying.

5. Decide to be happy. Despite what is commonly held to be true, happiness is a choice and not something that just “happens to us”. For a genuinely meaningful life, take out the “I’ll be happy when…” from your thoughts and replace it with “I’m happy now because…” 

Quite often, we reach those “when” moments and aren’t any happier than when we started; instead, we then set new targets for our life without taking the opportunity to rejoice in what we did accomplish. 

Don’t defer your happiness: it goes hand-in-hand with choosing gratitude to say “Today, I am happy because it’s a beautiful day outside” or “Even though I’m not rich, I’m happy because I was able to pay the bills this month.”

Any new habit can take some practice, so don’t get discouraged if these five tips don’t come naturally to you at first. Over time, however, you’ll begin to see that with such small and simple changes, your life will feel much more meaningful and satisfying.

Empty Nest: 4 Tips For Transitioning Into A Smaller Home

If you are planning on moving into a smaller home, you are in a unique moving situation compared to most people. Space may formerly have been in excess and now it is scarce. Do not let yourself get stressed out before the process even starts. Moving can be an entirely painless process as long as you make sure to think ahead and plan accordingly for your new home.

4. Organize And Plan Your Space

The key to a quick move is knowing what goes where. That means putting stuff into boxes and labeling them. When you label don't just put what is inside the box, but where the box is going. It is recommended that you draw up a sort of rough plan, so you have an idea of how your home will be laid out when all is said and done.

3. Prepare For Downsizing

As much as you might want to bring along everything, you are not going to be comfortable in a smaller house packed to the brim with stuff. Now is as good a time as any to let go of some of those items that you just don't need. You will feel better about it, and your home will look a lot better. A garage sale is always a great way to get rid of some extra stuff.

2. Consider A Storage Unit

Storage units can be a huge asset in the moving process that people don't always make use of. You may not have the time to fully go through every single item that you have lying around. A storage unit is a good intermediary for that stuff you are not sure about. Alternately, you can simply put your extra stuff that you don't want hanging around the house in the storage unit. A tidy storage unit can fit quite a lot of different items. Consider the Storage Center to see the variety of different sizes that storage units are available in.

1. Consider Alternative Decor

Not only is the house you are moving into smaller, but it is an entirely different house. Those huge couches in your living room might be too big, but they may also just not look appropriate in your smaller sized home. Look at this as an opportunity to get a new look going if it seems appropriate. Your old stuff may actually fit in quite well with your new home. However, it will be clear to you if things just do not look right.

Inexpensive Ways to Enjoy Your Retirement

retirement (Photo credit: 401(K) 2013)

For some, boredom begins upon retirement. But for others, adventures start once you’re done with all your career responsibilities. Retirement is the best time to explore new things you haven’t tried before and do what you have always wanted to do but just never had the chance to do so. While you may not be as physically active as you have been years back, there are still a lot of things that you can do to enjoy retirement without being guilty in spending too much.

Travel

Oh the feeling of being in a new place and discovering new sights! Try channeling the wanderlust in you and go somewhere you have always longed. There are a lot of travel packages you could find that offer good rates. It would be best to avail of special senior discounts or take part of guided group tours, which is so much safer. Just like anything else, set a budget for your travel and stick to it no matter how irresistible it can seem by researching and deciding exactly where you want to go and what to do when you get there.

Engage in literature

Remember how much time you had to spend in paper works and all other work-related things that you could only wish for a time off and snuggle with a good book? Well you now have all the time in the world to learn more about history or be in engrossed in a fantasy world. Whether it’s an original copy of a Jane Eyre novel or a downloadable ebook of a J.K. Rowling series, now is the best time for you to catch up on literature. The only thing you’ll spend on is the book itself and nothing more. You can even tap the writer within you and author a fiction novel or document an autobiography.

Be a volunteer

Instead of staying at home and watching whatever is on TV, try to take part in outreach programs that aim to help build the community and assist the needy. It may be an orphanage, a group of unemployed parents, or an environmental organization. You may not have known it yet but volunteerism may just be one of the most fulfilling activities you’ll ever do. Maybe you have been active in monetarily contributing to the less fortunate over the years, but being physically present to see the expression of organizations and individuals you have helped definitely feels different.

Stay Active

Stretch out your legs and move more often. Being physically active will dramatically improve your health and effectively prevents boredom. Consult your doctor to determine the best exercise for you. If you want to have more fun, you can try dancing! And if you feel like being a little competitive, get into sports. Choose one that is athletic yet relaxing, like golf. Whether you’re a beginner or a veteran in the sport, you can always find the perfect gear designed for your skill level, which is offered in brands like Lamkin Grips. Spend some time alone or do it with a loved one. Either way, going outdoors and staying active will actually make you happier and healthier.


Author Bio

Amanda Smith is a blogger based in San Diego, California. She loves writing about health and wellness, technology and gadgets, travel and arts, and just about anything that tickles her fancy. When she’s not writing, she’s busy catching up on her favorite sitcoms with her yellow Labrador, Chandler Tribbiani. You can catch more of her works at her gang’s hangout, wordbaristas.com.